BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Planning a visit to the famous Badaling section of the Great Wall in Beijing? Well, make your reservations first.
On Saturday, the iconic Badaling section started limiting visitors to 65,000 a day to guarantee smooth and safe travels. Visitors also need to make real-name reservations online.
On Saturday morning, the ticket counter was no longer filled with long queues of tourists, and visitors swiped their ID cards to go into the scenic area.
According to authorities of the scenic area, paper tickets will no longer be issued. Tourists can buy tickets and make reservations on the official online ticketing system, or via a public account on the social media tool WeChat.
The Badaling Great Wall is located in Yanqing County, 60 km northwest of downtown Beijing. It is the earliest open section and the most popular tourist destination on the wall. Many foreign heads of state and government have visited it since the 1950s.
The Badaling Great Wall received more than 9.9 million visitors last year, and the number of tourists has been extremely uneven in the off-season and peak season. Tourist's enthusiasm has caused great pressure for the safety of the relics and tourists, therefore, advance booking and visitor limits are necessary, according to Chen Fei, an official in charge of the management of the Great Wall at Badaling.
"The number limit will provide a good visiting environment for tourists, while also decreasing pressure on the Great Wall's maintenance," Chen said.
