BEIJING, Dec. 19 -- Celebrity wax figures in a north China museum donned air pollution masks this week in a protest against the country's widespread smog.

Staff at the wax museum on Liuxiang Street in Taiyuan City, capital of Shanxi Province, put white masks on statues of Barack Obama, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Psy and other celebrities on Thursday as part of a performance art show, according to Chinanews.com.

The performance was an attempt to raise public awareness of environmental protection and to lower the frequency of smoggy days, according to the show's organizer. Visitors to the museum were also required to wear masks.

Pictures on Sina Weibo show masked visitors striking poses with the mask-wearing celebrities. The pictures have gone viral on the Internet, with netizens praising the show as a clever way to expose the threat of smog in China.

In recent years, swathes of the country have frequently reported heavy smog, slashing visibility and posing health hazards. China has taken a variety of measures to contain severe air pollution, including restricting industrial production and vehicle use.