PEOPLE aged between 60 and 69 will no longer enjoy free entry to the Splendid China · China Folk Culture Villages and the Shenzhen Safari Park in accordance with the two tourist attractions’ new rules, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported yesterday.

On July 7, a citizen in his 60s reported that when he visited the Splendid China · China Folk Culture Villages in Nanshan District recently, he was told that from July 1, people under the age of 70 holding the Yinian card, a senior citizen ID card, will no longer enjoy free admission.

In response, the Splendid China· China Folk Culture Villages said that according to government circulars, due to the cancellation of the original preferential treatment certificates for the elderly, from January this year, seniors aged between 65 and 69 would enjoy half-price tickets with an ID card, and those aged 70 and older would enjoy free tickets.

The reason why the new rules were implemented from July 1 is that a half-year transitional period has been reserved, according to the scenic spot.

The reporter with the Daily later reached the Elderly Welfare Department of the Nanshan District Health Bureau.

According to a staffer with the bureau, people over 60 years old previously could enter the scenic spots of the whole city free of charge with a preferential treatment certificate for the elderly, but now the certificate has been replaced with the Yinian card.

The staffer said that the tourist attractions in the city that currently offer free admission were invested in and built by the government. “The policy is implemented citywide. Scenic spots such as the Splendid China · China Folk Culture Villages and Window of the World were not invested in by the government.”

During an inquiry with the Shenzhen Safari Park, a staffer with the park replied that the park provides free tickets for seniors aged 70 and older, while those aged between 65 and 69 should buy a ticket.

“Those holding the preferential treatment certificate for the elderly were allowed to enter the park free of charge last year, but not this year, because the park is privately owned,” the staffer told the Daily.

Happy Valley, another popular scenic spot in Shenzhen, said that it offers free entry to citizens who are aged 60 and above and hold a local household registration, while seniors aged 70 and older can enter with their ID card free of charge regardless of their household registration.

(Zhang Yu)