Traffic controls for Palace Museum

Motorcades of visiting VIPs should not be allowed to travel through the open areas of the Palace Museum to ensure the safety of both walking visitors and treasures, Beijing News reported on Saturday citing a proposal to nation's top political advisory body.

Guests should be told to get out of their cars at Meridian Gate (Wu men), and then walk through their tours before leaving on foot through the Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwu men) or by car through the West Glorious Gate (Xihua men) which is not yet open to public visitors, according to Palace Museum Director Shan Jixiang.

The Palace Musuem has been allowing motorcades to travel through the complex from the Meridian Gate to the Gate of Divine Prowess for many years, said Shan in his proposal at the first session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

However, the number of visitors has surged in the past decade, driving the high the chance of a stampede and traffic accidents when car fleets compete with walking visitors at crowed areas, said Shan.

The world's biggest and best-preserved ancient royal architecture complex received 15.3 million visitors during 2012, doubling that of a decade ago and registering an average annual growth rate of 10 percent.

Tour groups are advised to visit at different time and temporary traffic controls will be imposed to ease crowded areas, according to the new stampede prevention measures unveiled by Shan for the upcoming Qingming holiday, which lasts from April 4 to 6.

While citing stampede prevention as the biggest pressure facing the Palace Museum, Shan pinpoints trash as another big headache and says garbage collection is an extra job for all museum employees. "I pick up garbage 1,000 times a year," said Shan.