You Should Never Do This When Visiting Places in China

A video of two men smoking cigarettes inside the Forbidden City in Beijing recently took over the Internet, causing outrage among netizens across the nation.

In the video, these two men are sitting under a parasol in one of the public areas of the Forbidden City, facing the camera and asking: Who would dare smoke in the Forbidden City?" Their tone is extremely arrogant and their expression is aggressive.

As soon as he finished speaking, one of the two men took a puff, aware that smoking in the Forbidden City is prohibited.

The Forbidden City has been completely smoke-free since May 18, 2013; also known as International Museum Day. Rules of this establishment dictate that all staff and visitors of the Palace Museum are forbidden from smoking in any of the indoors and outdoors environments, the violation of which will result in severe punishments.

Stricter regulations against public smoking have been put in place in Beijing since June 1, 2015, stipulating that smoking is prohibited in public places, workplaces and other indoor environments, as well as while queuing outside. Anyone violating such regulations will be fined RMB 200.

The video of these two disrespectful men went viral all over the Internet, leading people to put the safety of the Forbidden City into question and wonder what would happen if the fire alarm ever went off. The consequences could be catastrophic!

Some netizens said such behavior should be blacklisted by scenic spots, suggesting that visitors be banned from any scenic spots or venues for life

Other netizens also pointed out that the development of social platforms, such as live broadcasting and short video clips, has led a lot of people to upload videos like this one for the mere incentive of gaining exposure. Theres a growing mentality of embracing the violation of rules and regulations in order to attract attention.

As a response to this incident, security staff of the Palace Museum confirmed that as a famous cultural relic, the Forbidden City is a completely no-smoking zone, meanings that cigarettes and lighters are also forbidden to be taken on the premises. Such items are usually checked when entering the venue.

The two men in the video were apparently showing off their own contraband while smoking in public areas, which has led Palace Museum staff to start an investigation. Beijing police have picked up their own investigation.

What kind of punishment do you think should be given for such behavior?

Let us know in the comment section below!

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Editor: Crystal Huang