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Download The Palace Museum is mulling changing its ticket policy to better protect its heritage and visitors' safety. At a consultative meeting on Thursday, the museum, which is located in the Forbidden City, asked about 30 regular visitors, volunteers and tour guides for opinions on the ticket policy. One option it is considering is raising prices in the peak season and reducing them during the offseason, said Shan Jixiang, director of the museum. In that way, visitors can be diverted from the peak season, he said. "We want to ensure the safety of both the visitors and the cultural relics in the museum, especially in the peak season, "he said. Under the current policy, a ticket to the Palace Museum costs 60 yuan ($9.50) in the peak season from April to October and 40 yuan the rest of the year. The policy has been practiced for 13 years. The new prices are still to be decided. The peak season is too long to effectively divert visitors, he said. The museum is thinking about prolonging the offseason to April and cutting the peak season by one month. There are currently 10 kinds of concessionary tickets offered to people such as students, seniors and the disabled. These types of tickets might be integrated to improve the efficiency of the ticket office, he said. At the same time, the museum is planning to issue annual tickets to visitors who come to the Palace Museum frequently to see the architecture and exhibitions. It is still to be discussed how much the annual card should cost and whether it can be used for an unlimited amount of visits. | 
