Netizens: Free entry limited to Beijing residents is accused of being disrespectful
At around 5:25 PM yesterday, a real-name verified Weibo user named Sun Yafei posted on Weibo that she took her mother to visit the "International Wind Festival" at Chaoyang Park. Her mother presented her senior citizen card issued by Sichuan Province, but the park's management staff stated that only those with Beijing-issued senior citizen cards could enter for free. "The ticket issue is small, but being looked down upon is a big deal. The capital city should not practice regional discrimination. My mother worked for my company after retirement and paid taxes in Beijing, yet she does not receive equal treatment," Sun Yafei hoped Chaoyang Park would respond to this matter.
Chaoyang Park: Local seniors do not enjoy discounts temporarily
According to the official website of Chaoyang Park, the entrance fee for Chaoyang Park is 5 yuan, and seniors aged 65 and above holding Beijing senior preferential cards can enter for free. However, during large events, children under 1.2 meters tall are exempt from tickets, while other passengers must purchase tickets according to the event price.
The official website also shows that the International Wind Festival at Chaoyang Park is organized by the Chaoyang District External Cultural Exchange Association and hosted by Beijing Jinyizhou International Culture Communication Co., Ltd. The ticket price is 10 yuan per person per visit.
Yesterday, the organizing committee confirmed that seniors aged 65 and above in Beijing can enter the festival site for free this year. "This year marks the tenth edition of the Wind Festival, and we have launched this discount for the first time. Local elderly people do not enjoy this preferential policy yet."
Park Management Center: Local seniors can enjoy half-price tickets
Since January 1, 2009, seniors aged 65 and above in Beijing holding senior preferential cards can visit more than 150 parks for free, including Beihai Park and Chaoyang Park, and can also ride 969 bus routes within the city for free.
Yesterday, a staff member of the Beijing Parks Management Center introduced that currently, local seniors cannot enter parks for free, but they can enjoy a half-price ticket discount. If the park holds large events such as temple fairs, visitors need to confirm with the specific park whether there will be any discounts.
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Large cities struggle to extend benefits to non-local seniors
According to media reports, during the 2011 Guangdong Provincial "Two Sessions", four members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference jointly submitted a proposal advocating Guangzhou to improve its preferential policies for the elderly, offering discounts such as free public transportation for retired cadres and seniors from other regions who come to Guangzhou. In response to this proposal, the Guangzhou Municipal Government stated that apart from Harbin, Wuhan, and Shenzhen, most cities across the country, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin, only issue preferential certificates to local residents and have not extended them to non-local residents. The Guangzhou Municipal Government will revise the "Guangzhou Elderly Preferential Measures" and study ways to appropriately expand the scope of preferential treatment.