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Traditional hutongs, or narrow streets, are known in Beijing for being peaceful and nostalgic.
But the 700-year-old hutong Nanluoguxiang has become a tourist trap that could pose a safety threat, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
For that reason, Nanluoguxiang applied to give up its ranking as an A3-level government-recommended tourist site, Xinhua said.
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This would prohibit groups from touring the 800-meter long hutong but would still allow individuals to visit, according to Xinhua.
Local officials told the news agency that during major holidays, up to 100,000 people visit the hutong in one day.
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"According to the China National Tourism Administration, Nanluoguxiang is only large enough to safely accommodate 17,000 people," Dongcheng District, Beijing, tourism committee director Li Xuemin told Xinhua. "The issue of overcrowding poses a potential threat to public safety."
In 2015, another popular tourist site in Beijing, the Forbidden City, instituted a daily limit of 80,000 visitors, Xinhua reported. Hangzhou's West Lake and Sichuan's Jiuzhaigou have also put a cap on the number of visitors allowed.
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