Requiring reservations to visit sites may remain widespread

After Sunday brunch with friends at Beijing’s bustling Wangfujing pedestrian shopping street, Hu Yiting felt it would be a waste of the pleasant spring weather to head back home, crawl into bed and watch TV.

That’s when the idea popped into Hu’s head to climb nearby Jingshan hill for a bird’s-eye view of the city after being cooped up at home for weeks due to the virus outbreak.

However, security guards outside the park turned her away because she hadn’t made a reservation.

“At first, I was very frustrated about having no chance for any impromptu fun,” she said.

“But with the coronavirus not completely rooted out yet, it’s probably best to safeguard public health by making early reservations to visit scenic spots or dine out.”

While the nation is maintaining its vigilance amid unwavering epidemic control and prevention efforts, a growing number of people are getting used to the new normal of “no entry without reservations “in many aspects of daily life to avoid mass gatherings and stem the spread of the virus.

More than 80% of China’s top 5A-rated tourist sites required visitors to make reservations via the Internet, WeChat accounts or third-party platforms, the culture and tourism ministry said.

Liu Chang, a gym coach in Beijing, scrambled to make a reservation for the Forbidden City on the eve of the holiday when it announced it was reopening after a three-month closure caused by the epidemic.

The 26-year-old had visited the former imperial palace before but said it was more enjoyable during the holiday, when the number of visitors was capped at 5,000 a day, down from 80,000 before the outbreak.

“It’s unbelievable that I was able to slow down and take time to learn and appreciate the history and beauty of the ancient culture and even shoot pictures without a crowd of tourists entirely blocking the buildings,” he said.

“The strict reservation system, to be frank, really made my day.”

Apart from the tourism sector, a wide variety of businesses and venues from barbershops to restaurants and libraries are requiring reservations as part of pandemic control measures.

However, Liu Junhai, a law professor at Renmin University of China, said that while the new system of making reservations has benefits, efforts were needed to protect people’s personal information and avoid a one-size-fits-all approach when promoting online reservations.

“The prerequisite for making a reservation usually requires registering on online platforms, which includes filling in personal information,” he said.

“The departments concerned should step up supervision and crack down on the leakage and theft of personal information.”