Tourists who come to visit any popular destination like the Great Wall of China should maintain the decorum and not deface the structure. Coronavirus had led to the closure of the Badaling section of the Wall for two months. It is popular with tourists and recently reopened after the virus break. The authorities caught a visitor defacing the structure and it did not go down well with the officials. The tourist used a key to deface the historic site and a camera caught the action. The officials decided to resort to the public shaming of such persons in order to protect the iconic structure from vandalism.
The news spread like wildfire in the Chinese social media platform and netizens expressed their feelings. There were suggestions of imprisonment to teach them a lesson.
VIDEO: Great wall of snow.
— AFP news agency (@AFP) January 7, 2020
An overnight snowfall leaves China's Great Wall blanketed in white, to the delight of tourists and children who came to climb the popular Juyong Pass near Beijing pic.twitter.com/sH57wc1h8G
CNN says the administrative and public affairs of the Great Wall office has taken cognizance of the incident and has implemented a number of new disciplinary measures against vandalism. The implementation would be from April 6. The administrative penalties will cover different types of vandalism towards cultural relics.
These will include carving which falls in the category of intentional damage. Tourists who misbehave with others will enter the blacklist and officials will announce their names to the public on a regular basis. Moreover, such offenders could face problems in other Travel-related areas at a future date.
China wants tourists to respect the culture
The Beijing Municipal Government has informed that the Yanqing County could deal with blacklisted tourists more seriously. This could be by imposing a ban on their entry into other local tourist attractions. They could also find themselves in the custody of law enforcement agents. The decisions have satisfied the netizens and the media alike.
They had voiced their opinions on the defacement of the Great Wall via social platforms. Actions of this nature hurt the sentiments of the locals and those who commit such crimes have to pay a price. In their words - "The epidemic has already 'injured' the tourism industry greatly, making the defacement of the Great Wall even more unbearable."
The Great Wall of China reopens a popular section to tourists after coronavirus closure https://t.co/yZmU0yOBv8
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 24, 2020
CNN goes on to add that the vandal confessed to carving the wall with a key. The incident happened at Badaling, which is the most popular section of the wall for tourists. It is not the first tourist blacklist created by China.
Parks in Beijing use face scanners to bar entry of unwanted visitors. They need to respect the feelings of the hosts and refrain from performing any activity that might be against accepted norms of society.
Tourists flock to popular destinations in China
According to Daily Mail UK, China opened its doors to tourists after closure due to fears of coronavirus infection. The local government of Anhui Province offered free entry to several scenic spots between April 1 and April 14. One of these was the Huangshan, also known as Yellow Mountains. It exceeded its daily quota of 20,000 visitors and many did not get a chance. This reopened on February 21. Another attraction was the Great Wall of China.
However, Shanghai Disneyland and Forbidden City remain closed. The authorities are cautious. They want visitors to show their health status on their phones. It is mandatory for them to wear facemasks and get their temperatures recorded once they arrive at the spot. China recreated a Martian environment in the Gobi desert for tourism. It is a country that wants to make its presence felt in space and can pose challenges to others. It is quite possible that China could occupy space on the moon ahead of America or Russia.
China mourns the dead
Incidentally, China hosted a national day of mourning on April 4, Saturday. It was in memory of the 'martyrs' who lost their lives in the coronavirus pandemic.
Daily Mail UK says all foreign embassies flew their flags at half-mast and public entertainment activities stood canceled. This day is dedicated to the deceased and is the Qingming Festival. Officials of Wuhan do not want people to visit cemeteries for the purpose. They say the cemetery workers will take on the responsibility on behalf of residents.
