Summary of the Key Points
The blogger "Lü Daxia V50" was stopped while driving on Provincial Highway S462 to reach Daocheng Yading and was charged a 120 yuan fee for using a sightseeing vehicle on the grounds that it was an "internal road." Upon further investigation, the blogger discovered that the road had been built with funds from local taxes (money paid by taxpayers), and the scenic area could not provide any legal basis for the charge. In the end, the employees who allowed the blogger to pass were punished for "unauthorized access." This incident exposes a common issue in many scenic areas: they turn public roads into "internal roads" and indirectly charge fees through mandatory shuttle services, taking advantage of ticket price restrictions and local governments' dependence on tourism revenue. For now, Daocheng Yading has suspended the collection of fees for sightseeing and battery-powered vehicles, but the fundamental question of whether public roads can be used for toll collection remains unresolved.
Detailed Explanation
#### 1. The blogger's probing revelation of the unjust charge: The scenic area was well aware of its lack of legitimacy
When stopped, the blogger asked two critical questions: "Who built this road? Where is the official charging document?" It turned out that the road was funded by taxpayers (with just 3.23 million yuan spent on minor repairs in 2026), yet the scenic area could not produce any legal documentation for the charge. This indicated that they were aware of their wrongdoing, which is why they offered a compensation plan to waive the fee and cover the blogger's accommodation costs in an attempt to resolve the issue amicably. Unwilling to accept this, the blogger was eventually allowed to pass, but the scenic area punished the employees who had shown leniency.
#### 2. Scenic areas' tactics for generating revenue: Turning public roads into money-making tools
This is not a problem unique to Daocheng Yading; many scenic areas use similar strategies:
- Tolling on public roads: Visitors must pay to use roads such as Provincial Highway S307 near Lugu Lake in Yunnan and the provincial road through Wutai Mountain in Shanxi.
- Forcing visitors to use shuttle services: The tourist center in Kanasas is several kilometers away from the main attractions, and without paying a 70 yuan fee for the shuttle, visitors cannot reach the sites; they also have to pay extra for access to the fish viewing platform.
- Exploiting ticket price restrictions: While ticket prices are regulated by authorities and difficult to increase, additional fees for shuttle services and battery-powered vehicles provide an loophole for scenic areas to bypass these restrictions. This is often justified as "ecological protection," but other methods such as limiting visitor numbers, implementing reservations, and designing parking areas could also serve the same purpose—yet they choose to charge.
#### 3. Shifting blame onto employees: The scenic area's attempt to avoid taking responsibility
Instead of addressing the systemic issue, the scenic area blamed its employees for the mistake, making it seem as if the fault lay with the individuals rather than the policy. This is similar to a merchant refusing to provide an invoice and then blaming the customer for purchasing the product.
#### 4. The local government's dilemma: Tourism is a lifeline, but it can erode trust over time
Daocheng County's situation is typical of many regions with weak economies. Without other industries, tourism is a vital source of revenue. In the short term, charging for shuttle services may help the local economy, but in the long run:
- Visitors come to Daocheng Yading to see what is described as "the last pure land on Earth," only to face additional fees before even seeing the snow-capped mountains, plus high prices for basic necessities like instant noodles and raincoats.
- Although the fee collection has been temporarily halted after this incident, if the root causes are not addressed, similar issues will occur in other scenic areas.
#### 5. The suspension of charges is just the beginning: The need to clarify the boundaries between public and private interests
The temporary cessation of fees in Daocheng Yading has led to investigations by the Ganzi Prefecture and Sichuan Province, but this is just the start. Legal restrictions must be upheld: The "Highway Law" clearly prohibits unauthorized toll collection on public roads, which are funded by taxpayers. Scenic areas should not use them as private revenue sources. A clear distinction between public and private interests is necessary; scenic areas can charge for tickets but should not turn public infrastructure into private toll booths. Long-term solutions require institutional reforms, such as defining the boundaries between public roads and scenic areas and regulating the pricing of shuttle services to ensure transparency in revenue generation.
Otherwise, what happened in Daocheng Yading could happen on any road used by tourists.
The essence of this issue is the conflict between local interests and public rights. Only by upholding the rule of law and clearly defining the boundaries between public and private interests can tourism truly return to its purpose of providing beautiful views, rather than becoming a source of unnecessary expenses for visitors.