Reservation-free policy draws booming museum visitors

It is now possible for Chinese painting enthusiast Lin Yali to go on a joyful trip to various museums and exhibitions at will, as the new walk-in policies have exempted her from prior reservation rules. Data from the National Cultural Heritage Administration showed that museums in China hosted over 40,000 exhibitions and more than 380,000 educational activities in 2023, attracting a record-breaking 1.29 billion visitors. According to the big-data research institute of online travel service provider Qunar, the search volume for tickets to visit Beijing scenic spots has nearly tripled since Beijing eliminated its reservation policies for all tourist attractions, except for the Palace Museum and the National Museum of China. Several attractions and museums in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, also experienced a peak in visitor flow after the elimination of the reservation policies, receiving 5.32 million visitors during this year's Dragon Boat Festival, up one-third year-on-year. The lifting of the reservation policies has offered foreign visitors interested in Chinese culture new choices besides natural scenery and food tours, particularly following the 144-hour visa-free transit policy that facilitates entry into China.