Recently, the news of the Forbidden City in Beijing offering wheelchair rentals to bypass queues has sparked a lot of discussion.
Some mainland Chinese netizens have mentioned that some tourists visiting the Forbidden City choose to rent wheelchairs and walk through the “love passage” to avoid waiting in line, with many young people also following suit.
According to a report by the “Xinjing Bao,” the only entrance for visitors to the Forbidden City Museum is at the Meridian Gate. Many visitors opt to first go to Donghua Gate Street, then walk along Tongzi River Road to the Meridian Gate for security checks and ticket inspection. Some shops along Donghua Gate Street not only focus on their main business but also provide wheelchair rental services with different types of wheelchairs at varying prices. On a daily basis, manual wheelchair rentals are generally priced at around 100 Chinese Yuan or less, while electric wheelchair rentals range from 100 to 200 Chinese Yuan, with an additional deposit required, usually amounting to 200 Chinese Yuan.
Employees at wheelchair rental shops mentioned that many young people rent wheelchairs to enter the Forbidden City in order to avoid long queues.
On mainland Chinese social media platforms, there are numerous related posts, with some netizens suggesting, “When going to the Forbidden City, it’s recommended to rent an electric wheelchair to use the barrier-free ‘love passage’ and avoid queuing,” adding that accompanying individuals also do not need to queue.
“ming Pao,” a Hong Kong media outlet, reported on December 20th that along the route from the East Gate of the Forbidden City to the Meridian Gate, many salespeople offer wheelchair rental services for “wheelchair mobility.” Apart from child seats, manual and electric wheelchairs are also available, with electric wheelchairs priced at around 200 Chinese Yuan per day. If multiple people rent, the price of an electric wheelchair can rise to around 300 Chinese Yuan.
A search on the social platform Xiaohongshu for related information on wheelchair rentals revealed many businesses renting out wheelchairs under the guise of “mobility vehicle,” with some visitors sharing tutorials on how to rent a wheelchair to skip queues.
Wheelchair rental operators also mentioned, “Renting these makes it convenient to use the ‘love passage’ and avoid queuing. The Forbidden City is large, and using an electric wheelchair saves you from walking around.” Although many palaces in the Forbidden City still require climbing stairs, wheelchairs can be left below the palaces, saving a lot of effort.
On December 17th, staff from the Forbidden City Museum told “China Newsweek” that the Forbidden City provides a “love passage” for military personnel and their families, individuals over 60 years old, disabled individuals, and pregnant women. Only the person in need of a wheelchair and one caregiver are allowed to pass through, as long as the wheelchair meets safety standards, they can use the “love passage.”
The staff emphasized that “on-site staff will inquire about specific circumstances. The ‘love passage’ is intended for special groups and requires relevant documents to be presented,” with the actual situation being the determining factor.
Regarding the behavior of ordinary tourists renting wheelchairs to use the “love passage,” staff mentioned that the Forbidden City has taken note of this situation and criticised them for taking advantage of a loophole in the system for their own convenience, labeling it as a matter of personal integrity, which the Forbidden City does not support. Going forward, the Forbidden City will strengthen inspections in this regard.