Gu Jia/Shanghai Daily news

The project that over 90 percent of the 136 local parks would be open freely to the public in 2005 is still under discussion due to the three foreseeable obstacles, cited by a chief of the Shanghai Landscape Administration Bureau.  
Though most citizens agree with this project, Gao Hongzhi, leader from the Heping Park, said worriedly that the annual revenue of 1 million yuan (US$0.12 million) obtained by the sale of tickets accounted for over one third of the total income of the park.  Once it's free, the costs in management and maintenance would soar, Gao added.
Bad social behavior is another major problem.  During the year 2001 when the park was freely open, Guhua Park invested 450 thousand yuan merely on the planting of trees and repair of its facilities that had been damaged purposely, still leaving many statues in the park beyond restoration.
Contrary to public green lands, parks are not patrolled by local policemen, which increases the burden on the security work for the authorities of free parks.