Editor’s note: The following article was translated and edited from a report that appeared on ifeng.com. It explains the economic reasons behind the increasingly high ticket prices for China’s tourist attractions, listing and introducing the “top ten” and breaking down the various ticketing options.

Believe it or not, entrance tickets to many of China's "scenic spots" (tourist attractions) are actually more expensive than those in other countries. During the peak travel season, admission to Jiuzhai Valley National Park in northern Sichuan Province will cost you 220 RMB, while admission to Potala Palace in Tibet will run you 200 RMB. Meanwhile, entrance tickets to many well-known scenic spots outside of China are much cheaper. Admission to Mt Fuji in Japan is free, as is admission to Mt Halla in South Korea. You can tour the Kremlin in Moscow for only 150 rubles (about 45 RMB), or see on of the finest collections of art in the world at the Louvre in Paris for only 8.5 euros (about 85 RMB). What's the reason for these steep ticket prices?

As compared with many tourist attractions in developed countries, which are dependent on the surrounding tourism infrastructure for additional revenue, the tourist economies of most of China's scenic spots are still in early stages of development, and must heavily rely on the ticket sales for revenue. As such, in recent years, ticket prices to many of the country’s best scenic spots, even those in remote or impoverished areas, have steadily increased. The following is a brief list of the 10 most expensive scenic spots in China.

10) Wuyi Mountain (武夷山)
The western part of the Wuyi Mountains is considered on of the key global bio-diversity conservation areas, as it boasts the largest and most complete sub-tropical forest ecosystem in Central Asia. Wuyi Mountain uses a "one-ticket" system. This means that you must pay (a higher price) for access to multiple scenic spots in the same area, instead of just for the one scenic spot. The attractions include in the Wuyi Mountain ticket are: "Cloud Nest" in the Tianyoufeng Scenic Area (云窝—天游峰景区), Wuyi Palace Scenic Area (武夷宫景区), "Thread of Sky" in the Huxiaoyan Scenic Area (一线天—虎啸岩景区), "Waterfall Cave" in the Dahongpao Scenic Area (水帘洞—大红袍景区) and "Lotus Peak" in the Yulinting Scenic Area (莲花峰—遇林亭景区).

Entrance ticket: 140 RMB (one day); 150 RMB (two days); 160 RMB (three days)
Part of tour package: 70 RMB (one day); 85 RMB (two days); 95 RMB (three days)

9) Three Confucian scenic spots in Qufu (曲阜三孔)
The combined entrance ticket for the three Confucian scenic spots in Qufu (曲阜) -- Confucius' birthplace -- costs 185 RMB per person. The three attractions included are the Confucian Temple (孔庙), the Confucius Mansion (孔府), and the Confucius Family Mausoleum (孔林), which can also be purchased separately for 110 RMB, 75 RMB and 50 RMB respectively.

Entrance ticket: 185 RMB

8) Huanglong Scenic Area (黄龙风景区)
Huanglong Scenic Area is located in Song Pan Country in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province. The main attraction here, the Huanglong Valley (黄龙沟) is located beneath the highest peak of the Min Mountains. The gully stretches on for about seven kilometres, is 300 metres wide and includes "the four absolutes": beautifully coloured ponds, snow-capped mountains, deep gorges, and dense forests. The area is also home to several endangered species such as the giant panda and the Sichuan snub-nosed monkey.

Entrance ticket: 200 RMB

7) Potala Palace (布达拉宫)
As the most popular tourist attraction in Tibet, it's no wonder that Potala Palace is also one of the most expensive in China. During the peak travel season (May 1st through October 31st) an entrance ticket will cost you 200 RMB, while during the off-season (November 1st through April 30th) the price is lowered to 100 RMB. Entrance tickets to the "Golden Roof" (金顶), the jewellery exhibit (珠宝展) and Linta Hall (灵塔殿) will each cost an additional 10 RMB. For the sake of preserving the Potala Palace, only 2,300 tickets are sold per day, and during the peak travel season, you will need to register for an entrance ticket one day in advance at the west gate.

Entrance ticket: 100 RMB per person (off season); 200 RMB per person (peak season)

6. Jiuzhai Valley (九寨沟)
Jiuzhai Valley is located in Jiuzhaigou County, also in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan. The valley, filled with unworldly blue lakes, waterfalls, forests and snow-capped mountains, is named after nine local Tibetan villages that reside in the surrounding area. Jiuzhai valley is one of the national key scenic spots and is on the World Heritage List.

Entrance ticket: 80 RMB (off season); 220 RMB (peak season)
Part of tour package: 80 RMB (off season); 90 RMB (peak season)

5) Weihai Xixiakou (威海西霞口)
Xixiakou is a scenic resort area located in Weihai, on the easternmost tip of Shandong Province. For 230 RMB, you can purchase a three-scenic spot set ticket to Cheng Mountains Scenic Area (成山头风景区), the Shendiao Mountain Wildlife Nature Preserve (神雕山野生动物自然保护区) and the Motian Scenic Area (摩天岭风景区).

Entrance ticket: 230 RMB

4) Yellow Mountain (黄山)
Considered one of the most famous mountains in China, as well as one of the most famous tourist attractions in general, Yellow Mountain's entrance ticket prices have risen incrementally, most recently during the 2009 Labour Day holiday (May 1st) when prices swelled from 200 RMB to 230 RMB.

Entrance ticket: 230 RMB

3) Zhangjiajie (张家界)
Located on the northwestern border of Hunan Province, in the hinterlands of the Wuling Mountain Range (武陵山脉), Zhangjiajie is considered one of China's most important tourism cities. In 1982, Zhangjiajie became China's first National Forest Park, and in 1992 Wulingyuan Scenic Area (武陵源) was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Admission to Wulingyan's core scenic area costs 245 RMB, plus 3 RMB for insurance.

Entrance ticket: 248 RMB

2) Hengdian World Studios (横店影视城)
Hengdian World Studios is located in Hengdian, in the city of Dongyang in Central Zhejiang Province. Since 1996, Hengdian Group has invested 3 billion RMB to construct the Hengdian World Studios. The film studio -- already the largest in the world -- includes replicas of old Guangzhou and Hong Kong streets, the Emperor Qin Palace, the Dazhi Temple, the palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and an attraction called "Dreamsville". Due to its immense size (and potential), Hengdian World Studios is commonly referred to as "Chinawood".

Entrance ticket: 255 RMB (Hengdian World Studios), 160 RMB (Dreamsville)
Entrance ticket for both: 360 RMB (normal); 305 RMB (winter)
"All Access" ticket: 420 RMB (normal); 360 RMB (winter)

1) Yarlung Zangbo River Grand Canyon (西藏雅鲁藏布江大峡谷)
Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon tourist area is located on the middle and lower reaches of the Yarlung Zanbo River in the Nyingchi Region of Tibet. About 504 kilometres in length and over 6,000 metres deep, it is considered to be the deepest canyon in the world, and is slightly longer than the Grand Canyon in the United States. The Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon tourist area is rich in tourist activities, including what is considered one of the world's most difficult hiking routes.

Entrance ticket: 270 RMB
Set ticket: 680 RMB (includes a boat tour)

Source: ifeng
 

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