Image caption Photos of the film playing over the main square near Jilin railway station went viral online

A film banned as pornography in China was accidentally shown on a large LED screen in a public square in Jilin province, Chinese media report.

Xin Jin Ping Mei (known in English as The Forbidden Legend: Sex and Chopsticks) was reportedly played to a surprised public for about 10 minutes.

A technician had been watching the film on his computer without realising it was connected to the LED screen.

He was meant to have been repairing the screen, reports said.

The advertising company that owned the screen alerted the technician, identified as Yuan Mou, to the live broadcast.

Mr Yuan then unplugged his computer and threw the disc out of the window, according to Chinese media reports.

However, news of the accidental broadcast quickly spread, and photos of the film playing over the main square near Jilin railway station went viral online.

The incident is said to have taken place last week and reports said that police are investigating.

Chinese microblog users primarily reacted to the incident with amusement.

Microblogger Exclusive Title described Xin Jin Ping Mei as a "class A Hong Kong film", while user Oriental Emperor wrote: "It's not broadcasting a sex tape of one of our officials, what's the big fuss?", referring to the recent scandal of a former Chongqing official.

The film Xin Jin Ping Mei is based on the 17th Century Chinese novel, known as The Plum in the Golden Vase.

The version broadcast is widely reported to be a Hong Kong remake of the film, with the English name: The Forbidden Legend: Sex and Chopsticks.

China has tight regulations controlling which films can be broadcast, including politically sensitive films and some pornographic films.