Limits curb overcrowding at Great Wall in Badaling

The Badaling section of the Great Wall in Beijing has bid farewell to crowded conditions after limiting visitor numbers to 65,000 a day since June 1 in an effort to guarantee the safety of the heritage hot spot and tourists.

By the end of last month, the Badaling Great Wall had received more than 2.23 million visitors this year and had issued four red alerts for overcrowding, the authorities at the scenic area said.

The latest data showed that during the peak season, the number of tourists visiting the Great Wall usually reached the 65,000 limit on Mondays, when downtown museums are closed, activating a red alert.

The Badaling Great Wall has set up a three-tier warning system for visitors. A yellow warning is issued when the number of visitors reaches 39,000, with an orange warning triggered at 52,000 and a red warning for 65,000.

Tourists can access the warning information issued by the scenic area via its official website, WeChat and Weibo accounts, LED screens on expressways and local traffic radio broadcasts.

They are also advised to make reservations on the official online ticketing system 10 days in advance in peak season and avoid visiting the Badaling section on Mondays or holidays.

The Badaling Great Wall is located in Beijing's Yanqing district, about 60 kilometers northwest of the city center. Visited by many foreign dignitaries since the 1950s, it is the Great Wall's most popular tourist destination.

The scenic area received more than 9.9 million visitors last year, with the number of tourists fluctuating greatly between the offseason and peak season.

The site's popularity had heavily impacted the safety of its relics and tourists, the authorities said, and that was why advance bookings and visitor limits were necessary.

Xinhua