Police are telling camera-happy social media snappers to stay away from

the newly opened Beijing Daxing International Airport because they are a
safety risk to travellers, state broadcaster CCTV said on Oct 4.

The airport, which was officially opened by Chinese President Xi Jinping

two weeks ago, has become a magnet for thousands of people wanting to
take photos inside and outside the huge star-shaped building.

About 15,000 people on average had visited the airport each day since it
opened to take photographs, the report said. The week-long National Day
public holiday made matters worse for security staff.

While 5,667 travellers flew out of the airport on Tuesday, the start of
“golden week”, 85,000 people entered it, the report said, citing airport
figures. Police claimed that this surge of visitors could threaten travellers’
safety and that it had to stop
immediately.

“The first category of this

phenomenon is tourists spending a
long time taking photos in the
passenger drop-off area in front of the airport entrance,” deputy traffic
police manager Lin Chanyou was quoted as saying. “This way, they take
up car parking space.

“The second category is tourists taking photos while walking on the east-
west elevated bridge, where cars are sometimes parked in the moving
vehicle lane. This could easily cause traffic accidents and carries safety
risks.”

The report said that many visitors ignored police advice to stay clear of
busy areas. Some were taking photos, while others were making live-
stream broadcasts from the vehicle lanes. Police also said that cars
should not be parked in the moving vehicle lanes of the elevated bridge.

A quick search of Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social media platform,

revealed that several users had posted photos from within the airport, but
it was not clear if they were travellers or day trippers.

“Where has this National Day week-long holiday gone? Why not go to
Daxing airport to have a look?” one user wrote. “But as I arrived, I didn’t
expect people to be shuttling through the airport, it’s just like a tourist
attraction.

“Old people are going there in groups to take photos as souvenirs; I bet
those will be super popular on WeChat.”

Designed by late Iraq-born architect Zaha Hadid, the starfish-shaped

airport took five years and more than 80bil yuan (RM46.92bil or US$11bil)
to complete. It is the most expensive airport yet built, as well as the
world’s biggest single-terminal facility. – South China Morning Post

Tags / Keywords: News , China , Society , SCMP

VOCABULARY

Word / Meaning Word / Meaning

Phrase Phrase
1 keep out 6 ignored
2 snappers 7 elevated
3 surge 8 day trippers
4 threaten 9 shuttling
5 phenomenon 10 souvenirs

COMPREHENSION

1. Why does the police ask social media photographers to stay away
from Beijing Daxing International Airport?
______________________________________________
2. How many people have entered the airport on Tuesday?
______________________________________________
3. How long is the National Day public holiday?
______________________________________________
4. What does the author mean by the phrase “golden week”?
______________________________________________
5. Who designed the airport?
______________________________________________
6. In your opinion, why does people want to take photos and videos of
the Beijing Daxing International Airport?
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
7. Imagine that you are one of the travellers commuting through the
Beijing Daxing International Airport. Describe how would you feel if
you experience the situation in the airport during the “golden
week”?
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
 VOCABULARY

Word / Meaning Word / Meaning

Phrase Phrase
1 keep out Stay away / not 6 ignored Pretend to not
enter notice / listen
2 snappers photographers 7 elevated Raised /
increased in
height
3 surge Sudden rush / 8 day trippers One-day traveller
increase
4 threaten Causing danger 9 shuttling Moving back and
forth
5 phenomenon Unusual / 10 souvenirs Items that have
remarkable event sentimental
value

COMPREHENSION

1. Why does the police ask social media photographers to stay away
from Beijing Daxing International Airport?
They are risking the travellers’ safety.

2. How many people have entered the airport on Tuesday?

85,000 people have entered the airport.

3. How long is the National Day public holiday?

The holiday lasts one week.

4. What does the author mean by the phrase “golden week”?

It refers to the holiday week.

5. Who designed the airport?

The late Zaha Hadid, an Iraq-born architect.

6. In your opinion, why does people want to take photos and videos of
the Beijing Daxing International Airport?
It is because of the beautiful and unique design and its popularity
for being the biggest single-terminal building.

7. Imagine that you are one of the travellers commuting through the
Beijing Daxing International Airport. Describe how would you feel if
you experience the situation in the airport during the “golden
week”?
 Frustrated. The crowd may delay my time to catch the flight.
 Excited. I’m in a popular airport. I may join the crowd in taking
photos.
 Indifferent. It’s normal to have many crowds in China.