Beijing to open 40 new parks

A total of 40 new parks will be open to the public free of charge in Beijing ahead of the five-day Labor Day holiday starting on May 1.

The parks are located in districts of Chaoyang, Haidian, Shijingshan, Mentougou, Fangshan, Tongzhou, Shunyi, Daxing, Changping and Pinggu, covering a total area of more than 2,600 hectares, according to the Beijing Gardening and Greening Bureau on Monday.

Beijing is expected to open 106 parks and greenbelts in 2020, with the per capita public green space reaching 16.5 square meters by the end of this year, said Gao Dawei, deputy chief of the bureau.

To avoid gathering, all scenic spots in Beijing will adopt a real-name booking system during the upcoming holiday, which requires tourists to book in advance through various channels such as instant messaging tools, mobile phone apps and official websites of the scenic spots, Zhou Weimin, an official with Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, told a press briefing on epidemic prevention and control Monday.

According to the official, only outdoor areas in Beijing will be opened during the holiday. Visitors have to wear masks and undergo compulsory temperature screening at the entrance, with mini-programs showing their health status and travel records to be checked. The frequency of cleaning and disinfection for public areas and facilities will also be increased.

As of Monday, 83 major tourist attractions in Beijing have resumed operations in an orderly manner, registering a reopening rate of 35 percent.