BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- China has urged its cultural venues and tourist attractions to improve their infrastructure and services to be more friendly to the elderly, according to a circular from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The ministry has called on the country's cultural venues to retain some traditional methods pertaining to access and reservation, such as manual ticket counters, accepting cash for tickets and taking reservations by phone calls, so as to provide better accessibility for the elderly.

The ministry has also asked cultural venues and attractions to improve health code recognition, adding that senior citizens who have trouble using smartphones should be allowed to furnish ID cards or other valid identification documents where health codes are needed.

Cultural venues and attractions are required to upgrade their infrastructure and services by Dec. 31 to meet the standards mentioned in the circular.

Earlier in November, Chinese authorities issued a plan specifying measures to help the elderly overcome barriers to using smart technologies while maintaining traditional services for them.