Customed tourists visit the Palace Museum in Beijing, on May 1, 2020. (JIANG DONG / CHINA DAILY)

After closing for 97 days to contain COVID-19, the Palace Museum in Beijing, also known as the Forbidden City, resumed the reception of visitors on Friday.

To control the flow of people, only 5,000 visitors who booked entry tickets online in advance are allowed in. And only outdoor spaces in the compound are so far available for public visits.

Visitors must have their body temperature checked and scan a QR code to signify their health status prior to entering the UNESCO World Heritage site, also China's formal imperial palace.

Visitors are guided to an entrance of the Palace Museum in Beijing, on May 1, 2020. (ZHOU HONG / CHINA DAILY) 

Staff members stand guard at the Palace Museum in Beijing, on May 1, 2020. (JIANG DONG / CHINA DAILY)

Staff members disinfect the ground before the Palace Museum reopens in Beijing, on May 1, 2020. (JIANG DONG / CHINA DAILY)

Tourists visit the Palace Museum in Beijing, on May 1, 2020. (WANG KAIHAO / CHINA DAILY)

A woman (front, center) takes a selfie at the Palace Museum in Beijing, on May 1, 2020. (JIANG DONG / CHINA DAILY)