Beijing Great Wall sees smooth travel after visitor limits

The famous Badaling section of the Great Wall in Beijing has bid farewell to crowded conditions after limiting visitors to 65,000 a day since June 1 in an effort to guarantee the safety of both the relics and tourists.

Tourists at the Badaling Great Wall on August 1, 2019. [Photo: IC]

As of the end of July, the Badaling Great Wall had received more than 2.23 million visitors this year and issued four red alerts of overcapacity, according to authorities of the scenic area.

The latest data showed that during the peak season, the number of tourists to the Great Wall usually reached the limit on Monday, when museums in the downtown area are closed, activating a red alert.

The Badaling Great Wall has set up a three-tier warning system for visitors. The yellow warning will be issued when the number of visitors reaches 39,000, orange warning for 52,000 and 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 Monday or holidays.

The Badaling Great Wall is located in Beijing's Yanqing District, about 60 km northwest of the city center. It is the earliest open section and the most popular tourist destination of the Great Wall. Many foreign dignitaries have visited it since the 1950s.

The scenic area received more than 9.9 million visitors last year, and the number of tourists has fluctuated greatly between the off-season and peak season. The site's popularity has heavily impacted the safety of the relics and tourists, therefore, advance booking and visitor limits are necessary, according to authorities of the Great Wall at Badaling.