Landmark policies for Palace Museum

New ticket prices and options, a reduction in food stalls, and a crackdown on ticket scalpers – these are among the new policies set to be introduced by Beijing's world famous Palace Museum, known to some Westerners as The Forbidden City.

The announcement follows a forum on Wednesday in which public and high-level opinions were sought about the iconic attraction's service and visitor policies, museum director Shan Jixiang said.

Shan said one key development was that the museum plans to set up a new service area to ease the strain on the overcrowded Imperial Garden, one of the last stops on the itinerary and currently occupied by several food and beverage stores.

As it stands, the area is more like a dining and rest area than the classic Chinese garden that it is, Shan said, adding that new service centers will be set up on each side of the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, which is near the Imperial Garden.

Food stores in the Imperial Garden will be replaced by souvenir shops selling books and cultural products about the Palace Museum, Shan said.

Another landmark measure is the plan to open the museum to the public for free in the off-season and adopt limited sales during the peak tourist season.

The museum will also intensify crackdowns on ticket scalpers and unlicensed tour guides, especially during the upcoming tourist season.

Moreover, to relieve sales pressure, the Palace Museum plans to open online booking discount service during peak tourist season.

Visitors can buy tickets in advance through the Palace Museum online booking system and enter the museum through a special entrance. Additionally, there may be discounts for the first 40,000 customers to book online.