The Potala Palace in Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region will open a new visiting route for tourists on Monday to relieve overcrowding.
The new route aims to balance the safety of the relics and to provide a better experience for tourists, the palace's website said on Friday.
"We usually receive about 2,000 tourists a day, but this has increased to over 5,000. Thus, we will open a second route," a palace employee who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday.
When the number of palace visitors surpasses 5,000 in a day, the new route will be opened to protect the buildings, the website said.
The new route will cover 15 attractions, including the treasure hall and the porch of the Potrang Karpo, or White Palace.
The Potrang Marpo, or Red Palace, in the middle of the Potala Palace will not be included in the new route to prevent it from the huge tourist flow, the anonymous employee said.
"The palace is constructed with timber and clay, which cannot endure too many visitors a day," the employee explained.
Tickets will be issued at 8:00 a.m. starting Monday. Tourists need to go to the ticket office to make a reservation. Travel agencies will reserve group tours. All reservations need to be made a day ahead.
