New guidelines for visitors to Palace Museum

The Palace Museum in Beijing released new visiting guidelines on Thursday to protect the World Heritage Site.

According to the guidelines, which will take effect on June 30, luggage cases, trolleys, scooters, bicycles and other wheeled transportation — with the exception of wheelchairs and strollers for kids — will no longer be allowed to enter the compound.

Without the permission of museum authorities, commercial photography equipment, including large tripods, reflectors and camera dollies, will also be prohibited.

"The safety of relics and visitors is a major concern for our operation," said Fang Xiaomei, director of the public area management department at the museum." While urging more civilized behavior among visitors, we want to safeguard an exceptional visiting experience."

The Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, was China's imperial palace from 1420 to 1911. Spread across 720,000 square meters in the heart of Beijing, it is seen as the zenith of ancient Chinese palatial constructions.

Following the public's enthusiasm for traditional Chinese culture in recent years, many visitors, of the younger generation in particular, like to visit the Forbidden City wearing traditional royal costumes.

This trend has created a boom in the commercial photography market centering on the palace.

"To get better pictures, photographers often occupy visiting routes and public spaces for a long time," Fang explained. "We'd like to further specify the boundary for commercial photography and ease its influence on the visiting experience through regulations."

The imperial garden near the Gate of Divine Prowess, the northern exit of the Palace Museum, has been affected by the heavy trolleys used to carry commercial photography equipment, said Qi Fei, an engineer with the World Heritage Site monitoring center at the Palace Museum.

The garden has become a popular area within the complex for commercial photography. Its pathways are paved with pebbles set using traditional craftsmanship and are not designed to withstand the rolling of heavy trolleys.

"The pebbles easily loosen after being rolled over again and again," she explained. "Colored glaze on the walls is also fragile and can be hit by the trolleys."

Qi added that the new guidelines call for visitors to retain a sense of awe and homage toward the cultural heritage. Consequently, livestreaming will also be banned within indoor galleries, according to the guidelines.

The museum will provide an alternate plan for travelers who bring luggage because they later need to catch trains or flights. Visitors can deposit their luggage by the entry and the luggage will be transferred to the exits for pickup to save people from having to walk back, which can take more than half an hour.