The entrance to the Forbidden City, also known as the Palace Museum, is notoriously a vast space filled to the brim with tourists anxious to buy tickets. But that scene might soon disappear as the museum is considering closing down ticket booths and moving all booking online.
The plan has triggered heated discussion nationwide since being reported by local media earlier this week, with many seeing it as unfair to people not accustomed to using the internet.
"I'm almost 80 years old, how should I use a computer to buy ticket? They better retain some ticket outlets for visitors like me," a tourist surnamed Chen from the northwestern Shaanxi Province said while waiting in line at a ticket booth. However, the online system is supported by many young tourists.
A visitor surnamed Sun from Tianjin Municipality said, "It is a fad to buy tickets online, which can save us much time." Authorities with the museum told Xinhua that there is no timetable for the implementation of the measure, which is still soliciting advice.
But they said such a system will allow better control of the visitor flow and offer more convenience for spectators. As a prominent landmark with a history of more than 600 years, the imperial palace has received more than 15 million visitors annually in recent years. The museum introduced a 80,000 visitor daily cap in June.
Zhang Ying, an official with the management office of the museum, said the palace is considering introducing visitor caps during different periods of the day to improve the museum environment. On popular online networking platform Sina Weibo, netizens' views are also split.
The cancellation of ticket booths can reduce the security hazards of long lines and facilitate the management work of the museum. Most of the elderly people would visit the palace accompanied by their children or with a tour group, so they should have no problem buying tickets online, user "Mingmo_chris" wrote on his Weibo. User "Yonghu2t2l8mmhxp" wrote that the measure is discriminatory to rural people, as many of them, especially those aged above 50, do not know how to get online at all.
Travel enthusiast "Heijian" said he has been to more than 90 countries and found that most museums in foreign countries are free of charge. He suggested the Palace Museum should retain some tickets everyday for the elderly and less-educated if the new policy is enacted.
Zhang Ying said online ticket has been gaining popularity since initiated in 2011, and over 60 percent of the tickets were sold online during the weeklong National Day Holiday earlier this month. The museum will develop more online channels such as two dimensional codes for cell phone users and a service center will also be launched outside the museum to serve those with troubles booking tickets online, she said.
Wang Shangwen, vice general manager with Beijing BTG International Travel and Tours company, said the plan is well-intended and can improve the efficiency and quality of service.
"However, tourism in Beijing is developing rapidly and more elderly and rural visitors are expected to come in the future. It is better for the palace to keep some ticket windows," he said.
Song Ziqian, an expert with China Tourism Academy, said that though it is the trend forward for tourist attractions to sell tickets online, it is not appropriate for such a popular spot to move all tickets online suddenly.
He suggested the museum spend some time promoting the measure and increase the amount of tickets sold online gradually.
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