Welcoming the Golden Week holiday  Major scenic spots in China limit visitor numbers

▲ Over the years, major scenic spots have always been packed with tourists during the Golden Week holiday. (Photo / Zhu Yinwei /东方IC)

Reported by Chen Ruizhong / Taipei

After the last day of September, mainland China will soon enter the Golden Week holiday starting tomorrow. This year, to alleviate the influx of tourists, many popular scenic spots across China will impose limits on visitor entry numbers. The aim is to reduce the overcrowding typically seen during the Golden Week.

This year’s Golden Week holiday will be the first major holiday faced by China’s National Tourism Administration since it announced the maximum carrying capacity for A-level scenic spots. To ensure tourism quality, two control measures have been put in place: a daily maximum visitor limit and an instantaneous peak limit. Once these limits are reached, the scenic areas will stop selling tickets and halt entry.

▲ The Forbidden City in Beijing. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ruizhong)

Taking the popular Forbidden City in Beijing as an example, the daily visitor cap is set at 80,000 people, with the peak expected to occur on October 2 and 3. To manage the flow, the Forbidden City has increased the limit for online pre-booked tickets from 40,000 to 50,000 per day. Once the combined total of online and on-site ticket sales reaches 80,000, ticket sales will stop. Visitors are encouraged to book tickets online in advance.

In addition, the Badaling section of the Great Wall has a maximum daily carrying capacity of 108,000 people, while the Summer Palace can accommodate up to 180,000 visitors per day. Other 5A-level scenic spots, including the Olympic Park, Prince Gong’s Mansion, and the Temple of Heaven, also have their own daily maximum visitor limits in place.

▲ The crowds at West Lake in Hangzhou during past Golden Week holidays. (Photo / CFP)

The Laoshan Scenic Area in Qingdao, Shandong Province, allows a maximum of 100,000 visitors per day. Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan has a daily cap of 41,000 visitors, while Huangguoshu Waterfall in Guizhou, which can attract up to 50,000 visitors during peak season, will stop selling tickets in real time based on crowd conditions.

Travel industry insiders also noted that this year’s Golden Week coincides with an increase in the daily quota for independent travelers from mainland China, rising from 4,000 to 5,000 people per day. As a result, in addition to the usual domestic hotspots, Taiwan may also see a new wave of visitors.

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