BEIJING, Sept. 11 -- Access to the Forbidden City will be considerably cheaper in off-peak hours as the tourist spot, also known as the Palace Museum, experiments with ways to ease the pressure of overcrowding during busy hours.

The trial program offers half-price admission tickets to those who visit after 2 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday this week, the museum announced Thursday.

Visitors and travel agencies can also book discounted off-peak tickets via the museum's ticketing website, gugong.228.com.cn.

The museum advised visitors register and book tickets in advance to help better control visitor numbers and reduce safety risks.