Forbidden City to reduce queueing time for visitors

China's Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, is considering improving its ticketing system so visitors do not have to waste a lot of time queueing for entry, according to its curator.

Shan Jixiang, curator of Beijing's Palace Museum, said on Saturday at a seminar that the measure is, among others the museum is carrying out, to give visitors "more dignity."

Despite having an online booking system, the museum still sees floods of tourists jamming ticket windows and museum entry points during peak times such as the National Day holidays last year, with each visitor queueing for at least 30 minutes to buy a ticket, according to media reports.

Shan said the museum is aiming to reduce the waiting time to below 15 minutes, and it is considering selling tickets through ticket companies.

Shan said that the museum is seeking ideas from the public on varying the ticket prices for low seasons and high seasons.

In the meantime, Shan said that the museum would improve security checks. Even when 176,000 passed through in one day during the National Day season, no time was wasted on security checks and ticket checking, he said.

The museum will also increase the number of toilets for women, providing three times as many when compared to those available to men.

Also, about 1,200 benches and chairs will be installed in the Forbidden City, so that tourists do not have to sit on the ground.

According to Shan, so far, only 52 percent of the Forbidden City is open to the public, and next year 65 percent will be available. By 2016, it will reach 76 percent.

Parts of the western part of the palace, known as the "women's world" because they were the living area for empresses and concubines, will be open to the public next year.