Tourist sites become pricey before holiday

Many tourist sites are raising the price of admission before the upcoming Labor Day holiday in May, Beijing Times reported.

A number of popular scenic spots on the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan have raised their ticket prices for the tourism season, which usually begins in spring. Emei Mountain in Southwest China's Sichuan province raised its entrance fee from 150 ($24) yuan to 185 yuan on March 16, Slender West Lake in East China's Jiangsu province elevated the ticket price from 120 yuan ($19) to 150 yuan in March, Hong Kong Disneyland raised its ticket price from HK$399 to HK$450 on March 27, and Taipei's National Palace Museum will charge NT$250 starting July.

The price hikes coincide with the permitted period of price changes, according to a price management notice issued by the National Development and Reform Committee in 2007 restricting the time between price changes to no less than three years.