(Fighting against New Crown Pneumonia) How to clear the haze of the epidemic after the Palace of Versailles in France resumes its opening
China News Agency, Paris, June 6 Question: How can the Palace of the Sun King be reopened in Versailles, France?
China News Agency reporter Li Yang
The world-famous Versailles Palace in France resumed its opening on the 6th local time. The palace of the "Sun King" Louis XIV has attracted much attention in the new crown pneumonia epidemic.
The picture shows June 1, local time, the two met on the terrace of the Paris coffee restaurant.
Due to the impact of the epidemic, the Palace of Versailles was closed for nearly three months, the first time it has been closed since the end of World War II. According to the opening schedule of museums and historical monuments announced by the French Ministry of Culture at the end of last month, the Palace of Versailles is the first important historical monument in France to be reopened on this schedule.
The Palace of Versailles is the most important and magnificent palace in France and has witnessed many important historical events in France since the reign of Louis XIV until the end of World War I. From the French Revolution to the Napoleonic era, from the Franco-Prussian War to the Versailles Peace Treaty, these historical events have left a strong mark on the Palace of Versailles. Now, the new crown pneumonia epidemic has brought historic challenges to this ancient palace.
A reporter from China News Agency came to the Palace of Versailles, which was reopened on the 6th, and saw that the people waiting to visit had already queued up outside the palace. The reporter noted that since the epidemic is still not over, the Palace of Versailles has taken a number of anti-epidemic measures to try to ensure the health and safety of visitors.
The first is the control of the ticket purchase link. The ticket hall of the Palace of Versailles is still closed. People need to make online reservations and purchase tickets, and choose a specific time to visit, waiting in line at the entrance to enter.
The second is the restriction on the number of visitors. The Palace of Versailles takes measures to limit the current flow. Now only about 500 people are allowed to enter the Palace of Versailles at the same time. The daily number of visitors is about 4500. Before the outbreak, there are usually 27,000 people who can visit the Palace of Versailles every day.
The third is the setting of the tour route. People can only follow the directions indicated by the signs. At the same time, to ensure social distance and safety protection measures, people must wear masks when visiting the palace. The Palace of Versailles provides visitors with hand sanitizer, but no masks.
The reporter saw that most of the 900-hectare Versailles Palace was reopened on that day, and even the "Magnificent Musical Fountain" resumed its normal performance. The day before the reopening, the staff dusted the mirror hall, polished the gold-plated statue, and disinfected the outdoor area.
The Hall of Mirrors is the most luxurious and glorious attraction in the Palace of Versailles, and many visitors have to stop here. The mirror hall is provided with a narrow and long central passage, and visitors can only proceed along this passage in one direction, instead of wandering in the entire mirror hall at random.
The Palace of Versailles has faced difficulties many times in the history of more than 300 years: in the era of Louis XIV of the "Sun King", the silverware in the Hall of Mirrors was melted by the emperor to order it as war military expenses; during the French Revolution, it was looted and the palace was almost deserted; After the Franco-Prussian War, it was occupied by the Prussian army. But these dilemmas have been overcome, and the Palace of Versailles is still shining.
The New Coronary Pneumonia epidemic is considered to be a complex situation that has never been encountered in the history of the opening of Versailles. Restoring the opening is only the first step in the palace's attempt to get back on track, and the more difficult challenges are yet to come. According to the reporter's observation, most of the visitors who came to the Palace of Versailles that day were local French tourists. Due to the epidemic, the EU’s outer borders are still closed, and international tourists are unable to travel freely, putting French cultural attractions including the Palace of Versailles under severe pressure.
According to French media reports, the ticket income of 8 million visitors in 2019 accounted for 75% of the total revenue of the Palace of Versailles, and four out of every five visitors are foreigners. If there are still no foreign tourists in the future and the number of visitors in the country is limited, the economic impact of the Palace of Versailles in the future will be huge, which is a problem that is difficult to solve in the short term.
French officials should have realized that the government's help is indispensable to the Palace of Versailles. However, there are too many industries and fields hit by the epidemic, and the government may not be able to take care of them all at once. In addition to government support, striving to attract tourists from inside and outside of France, and actively exploring historical and cultural connotations, may be a useful way to sweep away the haze of the epidemic at the Palace of Versailles. (Finish)