Adviser seeks better management of 'forbidden' attractions

The management of "wild" Internet-famous tourist attractions, such as undeveloped, off-limit and abandoned zones, should be strengthened, a local political adviser proposed to the ongoing "Two Sessions."

Last week, the Nanjing Railway Station announced that a man entered Nanjing West Railway Station at night following a method outlined by an "Internet-famous tourist attraction guide" and was badly burned by a high-voltage arc from a cable while climbing on the train.

Staff assisted fellow travelers to send the injured man to the hospital where he is being treated for his injuries.

In recent years, with the growing popularity of short video and lifestyle-sharing platforms, an increasing number of posts teaching people to get into areas that are off-limits to the public have popped up.

According to a proposal by local CPPCC member Jiang Shan, currently there are some highly sought-after so-called "wild" Internet-famous spots, "no man's lands," and abandoned factories or schools shared by online platforms.

These areas are usually not open to the public and are unsupervised. Some are even restricted areas prohibited for individual tourists due to potential safety hazards.

However, they have been vigorously promoted on some online media and platforms such as Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and Dazhong Dianpin as places for Internet celebrities to visit, Jiang said.

For example, he found a post by Xiaohongshu blogger Vicki introducing the off-limit Wusongkou Lighthouse received nearly a thousand likes and shares.

In another post, Xiaohongshu blogger Jacob Pumpkin attracted a lot attention when he highlighted an abandoned shopping mall in Qingpu District which is unguarded and could be entered directly.

The Dazhong Dianping app even has a "Shanghai's Abandoned Film and Television Base" topic.

Jiang suggested that public security, marine and other government departments, as well as relevant administrative departments in districts, towns, tourist areas must effectively strengthen safety management of these "wild attractions" and prevent people from entry.

Relevant departments should also actively promote the transformation and utilization of these abandoned sites or introduce new investors to turn them into usable urban landscapes, cultural and tourism venues as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, authorities should also strengthen the management of online platforms, limit the flow of videos and posts that promote such dangerous adventures to unsafe wild scenic spots and give warnings.