Beijing authorities plan to roll out facial recognition to help identify and blacklist “uncivilised” people from entering public parks.

Nearly two million visitors descended on the city’s municipal parks this weekend when many Chinese celebrated tomb-sweeping day, a public holiday to honour one’s ancestors.

But the festivities also led to an onslaught of poor behaviour in public parks, including climbing peach trees, picking flowers, damaging plants, fishing without permits, and hawking wares illegally inside the parks, according to a state media report.

Park officials are hoping the technology will compel “loutish travellers” to follow the rules – for instance, not smoking in certain areas and only setting up barbecues in allowed spots.

This isn’t the first time local authorities have used surveillance technologies to inspire better behaviour amongst citizens. In 2017, six face scanners were installed near the busiest toilet in the Temple of Heaven, a major tourist attraction, after reports of an increasing number of local residents stealing loo rolls from the facilities.