SANTA Claus is certainly not coming to town in cities across China as authorities ban all things Christmas.

Festive lights, trees and bells have been torn down in public spaces in at least four major cities as Christmas is "placed on the chopping block" amid fears it will damage Chinese tradition.

Those caught celebrating the western holiday face punishment from police who issued chilling warnings to the public.

Police in the Panlong district of Kunming, in southern China, circulated a notice that hotels, karaoke parlours, internet cafes, bars and other crowded places must prohibit Christmas-related decorations and activities.

The notice read: "It is forbidden to hang Christmas stockings, wear Christmas hats, place Christmas trees, and so on."

Langfang city, just south of Beijing, banned Christmas stage performances and merchandising promotions, according to a notice circulated on social media.

Shop windows were stripped of Christmas stickers and streets kept free of Christmas banners and lights.

It took less than 24 hours for all the seasonal decorations to disappear from a 27-story shopping complex in the Chinese city of Nanyang.

Even the giant Christmas teddy bear at the entrance wasn't spared.

Ma Jun, who works in the building, said: "Everything is gone and cleaned."

And Law enforcement patrols were stepped up to prevent illegal signs of celebration.

Government officials in Hengyang, a city in Hunan province, anyone caught holding Christmas sales or celebrations that blocked the streets would be punished.

Churches have also been ordered to vet Christmas plans with the government.

Christmas is considered a popular shopping festival in China, but a growing push to preserve traditional culture by the ruling Communist Party under President Xi Jinping has led to the sacking of Santa across the country.

Authorities claim the crackdown is part of a clean up to free streets of stalls and vendors.

Zi Yang, a China expert at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said: "The ongoing local reaction against Christmas is part of the wider sentiment since Xi took power.

"Therefore, foreign cultural elements such as Christmas are placed on the chopping block."

Students have taken to social media to complain about restrictions on Christmas celebrations at their schools.

At a top Shanghai university, a student union had its Christmas plans cancelled for the first time, an organiser told the AP anonymously.

Students in the city of Qingdao were reprimanded for hosting an event about gratitude on Thanksgiving Day and warned not to celebrate Christmas publicly, according to a student, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing retribution.