“Is the highway built by the scenic spot? Why is there a charge for taking the county road?” On the 21st, a netizen posted that on the 208 county road and 334 township road from Mati Temple to Jinta Temple in Zhangye City, Gansu Province, the scenic spot staff set up checkpoints and charged 300 yuan per person, which did not include the entrance fee to the scenic spot. Netizens questioned that this fee became a “toll” paid per person. On the 22nd, relevant staff of the Sunan County Culture, Sports, Radio, Film and Television and Tourism Bureau responded to the reporter of Upstream News (reporting email: baoliaosy@163.com) that the checkpoints and charges were true, and the behavior was inappropriate and illegal. Many similar complaints have been received this year. Last week, the local cultural and tourism department and the transportation department jointly issued a work rectification letter to the scenic spot, and the scenic spot is currently undergoing rectification.
According to the public information of Zhangye Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Film and Tourism, the Mati Temple Scenic Area is located in Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, Zhangye City. It is a comprehensive scenic area consisting of 7 grottoes. It is a national 4A-level scenic area and a national key cultural relic protection unit. The pass for the scenic area is 73 yuan per person (excluding the Jinta Temple Scenic Area). The Jinta Temple, which is located far away, is an important part of the Mati Temple Grottoes and is under the unified jurisdiction of the Mati Temple Tourism Area Management Committee. To visit the scenic area, you need to make an appointment 3 days in advance and purchase an additional ticket. The ticket price is 300 yuan per person.
According to the online post, many netizens have encountered roadblocks and charges near Mati Temple recently. “If you don’t make an appointment to visit Jinta Temple and want to drive through County Road 208 and Township Road 334, you must pay 300 yuan per person.” A netizen told the Upstream News reporter that Mati Temple must pass through the above-mentioned county roads and township roads to Jinta Temple, but whether to visit Jinta Temple in the end is the freedom of choice of tourists, and the scenic area has no right to block and charge on public roads. Another netizen had the same experience. He believed that the 300 yuan was equivalent to the “toll” forcibly collected by the scenic spot. The basis and standard of such charges were puzzling.
On the 22nd, a staff member of the Culture, Sports, Radio, Film and Television and Tourism Bureau of Sunan County confirmed to reporters that the situation of blocking the road and charging 300 yuan per person was true. “We have received many such complaints this year.” The staff member said, “For the problem of occupying the county road, we have issued a work rectification letter to the Ma Ti Temple Scenic Area in conjunction with the transportation department, and the subsequent cultural and tourism departments will continue to follow up.” The other party explained that the ticket for the Jinta Temple Scenic Area is 300 yuan per person. Before this year, tourists could buy tickets and check tickets one kilometer away from the scenic area. There was no charge for simply walking on County Road 208 and Township Road 334. “The scenic area is currently creating 5A and needs to pass sightseeing vehicles. The scenic area began to charge passing vehicles that did not visit the scenic area on the grounds that ‘the end of the county road and township road is Jinta Temple’.” The staff member admitted that the scenic area’s occupation of the county road and blocking the road to charge fees was inappropriate and illegal.
As of press time on the afternoon of the 22nd, the reporter called the tourism consultation number of the Mati Temple Scenic Area many times, but no one answered.
