In a bid to tempt Beijing residents to the city's cultural sites, the State-owned Cultural Assets Supervision and Administration Office of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality (SOCASAO) issued vouchers worth 50 million yuan ($7.46 million) to local residents, on March 1.

The distribution of vouchers by SOCASAO is not the first time the organization has provided an incentive for locals to visit cultural attractions –– between 2016 and 2018 SOCASAO distributed vouchers worth 110 million yuan, driving cultural spending worth 780 million yuan and providing discounts worth 333 million yuan.

By the end of 2018, more than 9 million people in Beijing had applied for the coupons, and more than 420 million people had used them.

At present, the coupons are available for consumers to use in seven different categories, including for performances, films, books and videos, education and entertainment, cultural and creative products, sports, and cultural tourism.