"Many methods have been tried to control the numbers, such as closing the museum on Mondays, but the results were not as good as we wanted," Shan said.

He acknowledged expecting some difficulties in putting the new policy into practice, especially if it means closing the doors on eager visitors who have traveled from far away to see the palace.

May Day, National Day and summer break are the three major peaks, he said. However, the number of visitors during the winter is fewer than he would like. Only 29,000 people visited the museum daily on average during low season last year from Nov 1 to Mar 31.

"We need to attract more visitors in winter to narrow the gap between peak and low season," Shan said.

The museum will reduce ticket prices to 20 yuan ($3.20) on its website during the winter, half the current low-season entry price of 40 yuan per person. The price is 60 yuan the rest of the year.

"We will guide more people to buy tickets online and improve our facilities," he said.

Also on Tuesday, Shan announced that microphones with electronic amplifiers will be forbidden inside the museum starting on April 1 to give visitors a better experience. Commercial tour guides often rely on the amplifiers to be heard.