Scenic spot charges 'incomprehensible'

As the National Day holiday approaches and so too does a predicted peak in tourism, management authorities at many scenic spots are preparing to raise entrance prices.

The expense of visiting a place of interest in the Chinese mainland has now reached a shocking degree, even for people in Taiwan who earn much higher average incomes than those on the mainland.

It was not long ago that Taiwan Kuomintang vice president Chiang Hsiao-Yan singled out the tourist attractions of Huangshan Mountain, Zhangjiajie and Jiuzhaigou, saying that all Chinese people should be able to share in such areas of natural scenery. As a result, he said the idea of paying 300 yuan to enter one of these places was "incomprehensible".