19/12/2025

FRIDAY | DEC 19, 2025

23

LYFE

Workers’ strike closes Louvre

President Emmanuel Macron. Reception and security staff complain they are understaffed for the vast flows of visitors. The Louvre has become a symbol of so-called “over-tourism”, with the maximum 30,000 daily visitors facing what unions call an “obstacle course” of hazards, long queues, and sub-standard toilets and catering. Macron announced a massive renovation for the museum in January, expected to cost €700 million (RM3.4 billion) to €800 million. Questions continue to swirl since the break-in over whether it was avoidable and why the national treasure appeared to be poorly protected. Two intruders used an extendable ladder to access a gallery containing the jewels, cutting through a glass door with angle grinders in front of startled visitors before stealing eight priceless items. – AFP

o Tourists meet disappointment, employees highlight poor conditions at museum

T HE Louvre closed its doors to thousands of disappointed visitors earlier this week due to a strike over working conditions at the Paris landmark, two months after a major robbery. Employees assembled outside the state-run museum’s glass pyramid, blocking the main entrance and holding up banners. “Due to a strike, the museum won’t be able to open today,” read a notice for visitors posted outside, leading to celebrations from dozens of trade union members nearby. “We won! We won!” they shouted in celebration. The strike had broad support among staff, unions claimed, above all from reception and security staff, but also curators, researchers and documentarians in the 2,200-strong workforce. “We’re angry. We disagree with the way the Louvre has been managed,” Elise Muller, a security guard, told reporters. The strike comes nearly two months after a daylight heist that saw crown jewels worth US$102 million (RM417 million) stolen from the museum. The incident has focused a fierce spotlight on the management of the world’s most-visited museum and its under-fire boss Laurence des Cars. It has also highlighted discontent among staff, with union represenatives saying they have been warning for years about staff shortages and disrepair inside the former royal palace. Around 400 employees voted unanimously to strike during a meeting on Monday, the CGT and CFDT unions said. At press time, the museum has partially reopened.

‘Disappointed’ “I’m very disappointed because the Louvre was the main reason for our visit in Paris, because we wanted to see the Mona Lisa,” 37-year-old Minsoo Kim, who had travelled from Seoul with his wife for their honeymoon, said. He was one of hundreds of visitors who turned up in bitterly cold weather hoping to visit the museum, only to be turned away by staff. Natalia Brown, a 28-year-old from London, said she understood “why they’re doing it”, but called it “unfortunate timing for us”. Rachel Adams, a 60-year-old American real estate agent, wondered how an institution which welcomed 8.7 million visitors last year struggled to find funds for maintenance and staffing. “I think that the Louvre makes a lot of money and they should be handling their finances quite a bit better,” she said. As well as the robbery, two other recent incidents have highlighted disrepair inside the building. A water leak in November damaged hundreds of books and manuscripts in the Egyptian department, while management had to shut a gallery housing ancient Greek ceramics in October because ceiling beams above it risk giving way. “The building is not in a good state,” chief Louvre architect Francois Chatillon admitted to lawmakers last month. ‘Obstacle course’ A spontaneous walk-out protest by staff in June led the museum to temporarily close. It had previously been shut during strikes and protests in 2023 against pension reforms enacted by

A notice informs the public of the closure of the Louvre Museum as members of the French CGT union protest outside the entrance.

Tourists walking in front of the closed Louvre Museum. – PICS FROM AFP

Enjoying ice, snow, hot springs atop Mount Emei in Sichuan, China ON Sunday evening, as the 218m-high Twin Towers lit up with a spectacular giant-screen light show, the launch ceremony of the 2025 Leshan Winter Tour and the 27th Mount Emei Ice, Snow & Hot Spring Season was held at Jiaozi Music Square in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China. profound blend of platform of Mount Emei and is redeemable for expenses at online and offline partner merchants, covering dining, accommodation, cultural and creative products, and other eligible purchases.

natural experiences and cultural discovery. The event also featured an innovative skit that presented novel ways to enjoy Mount Emei in winter. Malaysian tourists joined actors in immersive scenes, from admiring snow-capped vistas at the Golden Summit, skiing at the Leidongping Ski Resort, soaking in the therapeutic Lingxiu Hot Springs, to exploring the intangible cultural heritage of Emei Wushu. The immersive performance allowed them to fully experience the captivating winter charm of Mount Emei. Additionally, the Mount Emei Scenic Area introduced three highly anticipated winter travel incentives that evening. From Jan 1 to April 30, 2026 (excluding the Spring Festival Golden Week), full-price ticket holders who visit only either the Qingyin Area or the Wannian Area, or hike to the Golden Summit Area from these two spots, will automatically receive scenic area exclusive currency equivalent to 50% of their ticket price. This credit will be deposited into their digital wallets on the official tourism

Tailored preferential policies are available for various tour groups, including full-mountain tour groups, large-scale tour groups, inbound tour groups and study tour groups. Guides and leaders of inbound tour groups (including those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions) are eligible for a 50% discount on sightseeing bus tickets, with the groups being eligible for half-price admission to the Mount Emei Scenic Area. This year’s Ice, Snow & Hot Spring Season will last through March 2026, transforming Mount Emei into a winter-long paradise of snow and joy. Beyond the classic experiences such as snow fun and hot spring baths, a series of innovative interactive events will be launched, including the“Global Search for Emei’s Kindred Spirits” campaign, the Ice and Snow Kung Fu Challenge, and the “Snowy Little Macaque” Photography Contest.

Organised by the People’s Government of Emeishan City and the Mount Emei Scenic Area Management Committee, the event invited global travellers to “have fun in the snow”. As night fell, the dazzling light show on the Jiaozhi Twin Towers brought the iconic cultural and tourism elements of Mount Emei to life through dynamic visuals, from towering peaks and misty hot springs to auspicious, adorable elephants, playful monkeys and flurrying snowscapes. At the event, the Leshan cultural tourism ambassador unveiled a winter travel guide packed with exciting new experiences beyond the classic “snow sightseeing, hot spring baths and culinary delights”. Visitors can explore the region aboard

Mount Emei’s magnificent snow-clad peaks.

double-decker sightseeing buses, stop at unique spots such as the Diechuan Malt Whisky Experience Centre on the southern slopes of

Mount Emei, or discover cultural landmarks such as the Palace Museum Relics Southward Migration Exhibition Hall. This journey offers a