Beijing's Nanluoguxiang overwhelmed on May Day

The popular alley, Nan Luo Gu Xiang, saw 150,000 tourists on its peak day, surpassing the peak flow of the Palace Museum.

Statistics show that during the three-day vacation, more than 5.5 million tourists visited 150 scenic spots in Beijing. The popular alley, Nan Luo Gu Xiang, saw 150,000 tourists on its peak day, surpassing the peak flow of the Palace Museum.

Located in Beijing's Dongcheng District, Nanluoguxiang is a 786 meter long hutong full of small restaurants, shops and bars. Normally, it only takes about 10 minutes to walk its length. But during the May Day holiday, this narrow alley is packed with tourists who must spend nearly an hour to squeeze through it.

"Usually, the tourist flow is 70 to 80,000, which is quite a large number. During the holiday season, 150,000 tourists came to Nanluoguxiang on its peak day. It's over-crowded." Zheng Zhifeng with Community Service Center said.

The crowds bring many opportunities, but also many problems. The environment and public facilities are damaged, and local residents' lives are affected.

"I went to university in Beijing in 2007. At that time, there were a lot of quiet shops and I liked it very much. But now, it's so crowded and I don't like it." Australian tourist Li Long said.

Though the tourists are a boost to the surrounding businesses, many shop owners complain that it's not worth it, since there are more than 200 shops now, compared to only 70 before.

"The rent is higher, and the competition is fierce. But people want to make a profit. Therefore, they want whatever is popular. And gradually, this hutong has become a street of snacks and souvenirs without originality." Xu Yan, head of Chamber Of Commerce, Nanluoguxiang, said.

Xu says that under these circumstances, it's hard for creative industry to grow in this area, which will harm Nanluoguxiang's brand, and its long term development.