Section of Great Wall of China reopens after coronavirus-related closure
A section of the Great Wall of China has reopened after the popular attraction was closed in January amid coronavirus concerns.
According to CNN and The Weather Channel, the Badaling section of the wall was reopened as life is China slowly regains normalcy. The Associated Press reports that Beijing's city zoo has also reopened.
The province in China where the coronavirus pandemic originated in December will lift travel restrictions on people leaving the region, China's authorities said Tuesday. Hubei's two-month lockdown ended at midnight, although people will only be able to leave the area if they are coronavirus-free and have been given a clean bill of health. Wuhan, Hubei's provincial capital, will remain locked down until April 8.
Despite the reopening, tourists visiting the site appear to be remaining cautious. Photos taken at the wall Tuesday show a spare number of visitors wearing face masks.
The section is normally so populated with local and international tourists that in May 2019 a visitor cap was announced, which restricted it to only 65,000 visitors per day.
According to the outlets, Chinese officials said in a statement that they are currently only permitting 30% of the usual number of visitors into the area.
Other tourist spots are also reopening, including Shanghai's Power Station Of Art museum, which closed in late January. According to a post on their Instagram page about the re-opening earlier this month, there are still regulations being made, including limiting crowd numbers and making visitors wear masks.
While these tourist spots are trying to pick back up, other aspects of tourism are still holding back. In February, Airbnb blocked bookings in Beijing through the end of April, and Hilton closed about 150 of its hotels in China.
Other museums, like Japan's Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art announced it was pushing its previously scheduled reopening date from March 24 to April 4.
Beijing's sprawling Forbidden City ancient palace complex also remains closed.
Travel and tourism are major employers in Beijing, and like all service industries, have been hard-hit by the outbreak and accompanying closure orders. Schools, including famed institutions such as Peking University, remain closed, and authorities say it may be weeks or longer before students can return to classrooms.
Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: Great Wall of China section reopens to public
