Ancient city introduces entry fee for visitors

Visitors to the ancient city of Dali in southwest China's Yunnan province will be charged an entrance fee starting Sept 1 in order to cover maintenance costs, the government announced on Saturday.

Every tourist visiting the site with travel agents will be charged 30 yuan ($4.90), and the city will collect 1 percent of business income generated by shops and stalls in the city, according to the Dali Ancient City Protection Administration Bureau.

Individual travelers are exempt unless they enter several specific scenic spots of the city.