Beijing sells affordable annual pass to scenic spots

(BEIJING, January 10) -- Starting from Thursday, Beijing will sell annual passes to 33 scenic spots in the city's suburban areas.

The valuable tickets are available to every local resident and foreigner in Beijing, local media reported.

In recent years, Beijing has promoted sightseeing in the parks of the city's core areas by providing cheaper annual tickets. The new measure applies to the scenic spots which are rather distant to those people living in downtown areas. Today, these destinations can be reached through increasing means of public transportation.

The new tickets on sale are 60 RMB (approximately 8.2 US dollars) for the elderly (residents aged over 60 years) and for school and college students; 100 RMB (13.7 US dollars) for everyone else, including foreigners. Ticket-holders can go to the spots as many times as they like within the year.