No lighters, matches at Forbidden City

Beijing's Palace Museum confiscated over 8,000 lighters from its staff and visitors on Thursday, marking the first day the ban was enforced.

The museum, which is also known as The Forbidden City, went smoke-free, effective May 18, with neither staff nor visitors allowed to smoke indoors, outdoors, in open-air or at work zones.

The move is aimed at preventing potential fire risk at the museum, Xinhua news agency quoted museum curator Shan Jixiang.

However, he said, visitors could retrieve the confiscated lighters and matches from a designated area after the visit.

The Forbidden City, located in the centre of Beijing, was declared a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation World Heritage Site in 1987, as the 'Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties'.