Beijing adds 18 free visiting venues
THE Beijing government will lift the admission fees of 12 more parks and six more museums tomorrow, including Zizhuyuan Park and Ritan Park, bringing the overall number of free parks in the city to 123, Beijing Daily reported today.
All of the 12 parks are close to residential areas and have more greenery than others, said a government official when asked why they were chosen to be free parks.
The six museums will be great educational places of patriotism and popular science, especially when local students begin their summer vacations tomorrow, said the official.
The 12 parks received more than 22.8 million visitors last year, generating around 12 million yuan (US$1.5 million) from ticket sales. The six museums also earned as much as 600,000 yuan last year.
The city and district governments will subsidize these 18 venues to maintain their daily operation.
Beijing has 169 registered parks. After the adjustment, eight out of its current 51 museums will be free.
The 12 parks on the list include Zizhuyuan Park, Rendinghu Park, Honglingjin Park and Ritan Park in the city’s downtown area.
