As soon as 50 kilograms of fish were released into Beijing's Shichahai Lake to symbolize the spirit of mercy during a blessing ceremony organized by Huoshen Temple recently, about 10 tourists began jostling with each other to catch some of them. In the process, two of the men, who were apparently tourists, fell into the lake. The incident shows that many Chinese people, especially tourists, have forgotten how to behave like civilized beings, says an article on Guangming Daily website. Excerpts:

The temple releases "blessed fish" into the lake every year to evoke people's respect for life. Though there is no ban on fishing in the lake, the tourists' behavior was uncivilized and reflected their disrespect for China's spiritual tradition.

A civilized society needs institutional constraints. Civilized tourist behavior is born out of rules. Unruly scenes, like the one at Shichahai Lake, could be avoided if the authorities put up "dos and don'ts" signs at tourist spots.

Of course, tourists' uncivilized behavior should be criticized, but good management could minimize, if not altogether eliminate, such behavior at tourist spots.