Photo show the black-headed sea gulls flying in Green Lake Park in Kunming. [Photo/ Yang Fan]
Cuihu Park or the Green Lake Park plans to charge the admission fee to control the overloading tourists flow and fund the constructions of some shabby buildings in the park after 9-year free open.
"So far, parts of the old facilities in Green Lake Park need mending, but there are too many tourists to carry on the normal construction," said a staff member in Green Lake Park on Dec 4. He said the visitors flow rate has exceeded the normal capacity.
"Recently, we plan to repair three scenic spots in large scales, namely, Zhulin Island, Guanyu Building and Southwest Island, but the visitors' daily flow rate in the garden is nearly ten thousand, which has badly influenced the construction," said Zhao Wei (赵祎), director in the administrative office in Green Lake Park. "We paint a chair but tourists place newspapers on it when it is still wet, so we have to paint the chair for nearly seven times. Though warning signs have been placed in the construction area, tourists step into the construction area, which has caused potential safety problems," said he.
Zhao said the rational protection and scientific development lie in controlling of flow rate or charging the admission again.
The daily tourists flow volume was about 4500 before the free open to the public. When it was opened to the outside world, the daily tourists flow volume exceeded 30,000 and topped 100,000 during the festival.
"The optimum tourists' flow in Green Lake Park is 3,683 and the maximum capacity is 4,700. Since the park has been opened to the public, overloading operations have been the main burden of the park," said Zhao.
Zhao Wei said:"the facilities in the park have been damaged badly, and it's difficult to protect the cultural relics. Rubbish doubled, greenbelts trampled, fences uncompleted, toilets short and plants were carved with characters. "
Zhao said that the main economic resource of the park depends on the lease of pleasure-boats and stores, worth RMB 5 million a year, and funds from government.
In the nine years of the free open of the park, it is hard to upgrade the level of the scenic spots with the insufficient funds. Some complexes in the parks are shabby. It may threat tourists' safety, sightseeing effects and the life span of the complexes without enough funds to renovate and maintain.
Zhao said that 70% of the tourists are middle-aged and elderly people, 15% are from other provinces and 5% are vagrants and passersby and others are people from other prefectures in Yunnan.
Zhao said that if the admission is charged, it can not only control the tourists flow but increase the funds to maintain the park.
A total of 2000 questionnaires have been conducted by Green Lake Park, and 85% of the interviewees agreed to build Green Lake Park into a historical culture garden and 80% are in favor of charging the admission fee. Four grades of admission have been suggested to be set, namely, RMB 3, RMB 5, RMB 8 and RMB 10.
"The admission nine years ago was three yuan, and five yuan and eight yuan have been charged during the festivals, which are the basis of the suggested three grades of admissions," said Zhao. In the questionnaires, over 80% of the interviewees said ten yuan is suitable for the admission. (Editor:Lynn)
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