Some Chinese have hailed a new policy of admission at the Three Gorges Dam.

The scenic area of the dam is a popular tourist destination located in Central China's Hubei Province, attracting over 1.8 million people every year.

After collecting entrance fees for about 11 years, the authorities of the resort decided to offer free admission to Chinese tourists, leaving the 105 yuan ($17.14) priced tickets bought only by non-Chinese tourists.

Some Chinese people see this commercial activity in a very different way, assuming it to be some kind of revenge on foreigners, who've been enjoying privileges in China for quite some time. It seems that they are just short of putting up a sign on the dam, reading "time to pay."

This new pricing regulation, according to the authorities of the dam, is in accordance with international norms. It is true. Although different countries employ various pricing mechanisms for their tourist attractions, they use varying ticket costs as a lever to aid the local community.

For example, in Egypt, visitors from overseas have to pay admission fees for the Pyramids and Sphinx 10 or even 20-fold larger than the price locals have to pay, a way to ensure that poorer Egyptians can have access to their own culture and history, and in the meantime to raise the funds the operation of the resorts and preservation of the relics need.

The Louvre, Kremlin and even the Metropolitan Museum of Art have also multilayered their prices for different groups of people, either to facilitate young artists to have better access or to serve local citizens.

The Three Gorges Dam is using similar methods to reshuffle its tourism layout and attract more tourists, most of whom are Chinese, to add impetus to local industries.

It is a move to enhance an overall takeoff of the local economy at the cost of a reduction of 180 million yuan in the annual revenue.

Limiting the daily tourist flow to less than 40,000 people has also shown the authorities' determination to build a sustainable model for tourism development.

Meanwhile, free admission only for locals could also be regarded as a return for the sacrifice Chinese people made for the building of the dam.

Apparently, no ideas of national pride or the long-harbored "revenge" are attached to this new "Chinese free, foreigners pay" regulation.

But it is interesting to see that some Chinese people are still clinging to the sense of victimhood. Perhaps it is high time that they should move on and turn over a new leaf, or obsolete mindsets will keep blinding their eyes from looking into the future.