Palace Museum tells visitors to put selfie sticks away

Tourists use a selfie stick for a photograph in New York's financial district Feb 13, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

"Different from other tourist attractions, museums carry a function to educate and present different culture,” said a cultural expert surnamed Gao. "Using a selfie stick not only breaks the quiet environment but also disturbs other visitors."

"If the phone drops off the stick in crowded place, it can pose danger to other people and cause loss to museum objects," said a young woman surnamed Xu in a report. "The aim to take a better photo is understandable, but it’s better not to use it."

Different from other museum, a computer museum in the UK somehow maintains a generous attitude to selfie sticks. "We welcome people to take photos here with selfie sticks. If they break an old computer, we can replace it with another one," said a museum personal. "But we support other museums' actions. If a selfie stick breaks an ancient vase, it is completely a different story."

Safety concerns

Extendable to as long as 1.5 meters, any phone dropped from that device can be dangerous. We have also witnessed people using selfie sticks slamming into other people faces.

"Once, I was walking and a selfie stick suddenly popped out in front me,"  said a Guangzhou citizen surnamed Li. "It almost hit me before I ducked away in time!"

Priced between several dollars to over a hundred on Taobao, the selfie sticks can vary a lot in the quality. The safety standards of selfie sticks are yet to be defined in China, and it is unknown whether the electromagnetic wave created by the device can cause harm to human body.

In South Korea, selfie sticks face a tougher attitude. Selling a selfie stick could mean a fine of up to $27,000 and a prison term of three years, if the gadget is unregistered.