Act like civilized tourists

As soon as 50 kilograms of fish were released into Beijing's Shichahai Lake to symbolize the spirit of mercy during a blessing ceremony organized by Huoshen Temple recently, about 10 tourists began jostling with each other to catch some of them. In the process, two of the men, who were apparently tourists, fell into the lake. The incident shows that many Chinese people, especially tourists, have forgotten how to behave like civilized beings, says an article on Guangming Daily website. Excerpts:

The temple releases "blessed fish" into the lake every year to evoke people's respect for life. Though there is no ban on fishing in the lake, the tourists' behavior was uncivilized and reflected their disrespect for China's spiritual tradition.

A civilized society needs institutional constraints. Civilized tourist behavior is born out of rules. Unruly scenes, like the one at Shichahai Lake, could be avoided if the authorities put up "dos and don'ts" signs at tourist spots.

Of course, tourists' uncivilized behavior should be criticized, but good management could minimize, if not altogether eliminate, such behavior at tourist spots.

Not just a moral issue

More than 10 young tourists reportedly climbed over the Xi'an City Wall in Shaanxi province to avoid paying the entry fees. But apart from blaming the tourists for breaking rules and risking their lives, we should also insist on stricter management at scenic spots, says an article on gmw.cn. Excerpts:

Xi'an is not the first place to see tourists trying to avoid paying entry fees for a tourist spot; such incidents have been reported from across the country. There are several reasons why people try to avoid paying entry fees for tourist spots: poor management, lax security, high rates.

Rising ticket prices for tourist spots - from world cultural heritage sites to local natural beauty spots - have made it difficult for people, especially youths and students, to pay for them. As a result, many try to slip in without being noticed or try other means to avoid paying the entry fees. What they don't realize is that such actions could land them in trouble.

For example, a tourist or group of tourists can seek the help of locals to climb the mountains in Qufu, Shandong province, to visit the cemetery of Confucius. The fact is, although the tourists can save money by doing so, they will also be putting their lives in danger by climbing the mountains without proper professional guidance from the local tourism department, for which they have to pay a certain amount.

The authorities should realize that the higher the price of a ticket, the higher the number of people who will try to avoid paying it. So they have to find a way to deal with both the safety and monetary issues. As a first step, they should strengthen supervision of and improve the administration at tourist spots, instead of raising entry fees at random, without concern for tourists' pockets. And tourists should learn to be civil in their behavior and not try to evade entry fees.

(China Daily USA 08/08/2013 page12)