Has the Ban on Tour Groups Impacted Nanluoguxiang?
By Dominique Wong
Nanluoguxiang, everybody’s favorite tourist-trap hutong (no, just us?), recently got slapped with a tour-group ban after shit got too real, in more ways than one. But mainly because of crowd congestion.
According to the government’s safety regulations for public areas, Nanluoguxiang – or ‘NLGX’ as it is more affectionately known in txt-speak – is only allowed to accept 17,000 tourists at any one time. But there are instances when this figure has been known to swell to more than 100,000, as anyone who has had the misfortune of visiting during holidays can attest.
To support the new policy, local authorities downgraded NLGX from its triple-A tourist attraction rating in an attempt to discourage the hordes of hungry visitors. But, did it work?
During the May Labor Day holiday, NLGX was reportedly as crowded as ever. But overall, since the downgrade, visitor numbers have decreased by a quarter, according to Beijing Today.
When we venture down to see for ourselves, we are confronted by the dreaded white street barriers which separate Nanluoguxiang Station from the hutong itself. This ban means business, even if it makes things more difficult for non-tour group folk. (Tip: avoid having to cross the street in a round-about manner by using exit E, not A.)
Speaking of business, how has the ban affected the local shops and residents of the famous hutong? Well, locals tell us that it’s a welcome addition to an already packed street.
A security worker standing near the entrance tells us: “Before there were too many people, making the environment unpleasant and disorderly. I’m not sure if the ban will affect business much, because in the past, even if there were 10 tour groups visiting, only two or three would actually buy anything.”
His sentiments appear to be shared by many of the shopkeepers we speak with. One teashop employee says: “Our business is still going well. It’s about the same since the ban.”
Meanwhile a postcard store employee shares: “Tour groups just walk up and down the street, they don’t affect our business.”
One of the hutong’s many drink vendors is also positive about the ban, telling us: “Look – now people can walk comfortably. Before, you could hardly walk down the street. Now even on the weekend it’s not bad.”
One food shop worker sees both sides of the coin. “The ban hasn’t influenced us too much because people from tour groups rarely buy food," he says. "Instead they come here [NLGX] to buy Chinese specialty goods. Obviously we want to have as much business as possible, so we preferred it when there was no ban. But it’s more peaceful now.”
The new rules may benefit the hutong’s cleaners more than anyone else. One cleaner tells us: “There used to be so much trash, cars couldn’t pass and there were too many people. Sometimes, after eating, they would throw their garbage away, but not even in the trash can,” he says, gesturing toward the ground. “It’s much cleaner now.”
The street certainly looks tidier, although it being a Monday may have something to do with this. Even so, the hutong is humming with people: young, old, local and otherwise – they just never number more than five in a group. There seems to be more order here; it’s pleasant, even.
In sum, the ban looks good for NLGX. And yet there is nostalgia for the good old days – the really old days when NLGX wasn’t full of overpriced snacks, ‘cultural’ garb or gangs of high school children taking selfies with squid-on-a-stick.
One cafe worker who has been based in NLGX for the past five years tells us: “I’ve been here a long time. Sure, the ban is good but it’s not the same as before. Nanluoguxiang used to be great before it became what you see now. There were a lot of small coffee shops and there was a nice feeling.”
Well, at least there’s always the hidden gem that is 69 Café.
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