Beijing 's Forbidden City is following in the footsteps of Rome 's Colosseum and London 's National Gallery and banning the selfie stick . Bosses at the Palace Museum in the city have begun a crackdown on the popular phone accessories over fears that one wrong move could cause lasting damage to the invaluable artifacts in the ancient palace houses . The People 's Daily Online reports that eagle-eyed staff are keeping watch over photo-enthusiasts in the palace 's narrow or crowded areas , as well as all the indoor exhibitions , to avoid any potentially costly accidents . Ban : The Forbidden City has said selfie sticks are no longer allowed inside the exhibition rooms or narrow passageways over concerns an unfortunate accident may occur . 'Selfie sticks will cause safety concerns , whether for tourists or the exhibits , ' Shen Lixia , deputy director of the museum 's tourist reception department , told China Daily . 'It may touch the glass exhibition case and cause damage to the cultural relics . ' She added that as well as being banned in exhibition areas , the sticks would be banned in outdoor areas of the museum - so visitors would be wise not to bother taking them at all . However , the sticks will still be allowed outside the palace in the Forbidden City - so tourists can still get the all-important shot of the famous 15th century building in the background . There was speculation that the move could be the first step to a total ban , as has been implemented at other cultural attractions around the world . It is thought the Louvre in Paris will bring in a ban in the next few weeks , while several football stadiums have banned them over fears the extendable devices could be used as a weapon . But it seems should the Forbidden City instill a total ban in mobile-mad China - there are said to be 19,300 versions of the selfie stick available on the country 's answer to eBay , Taobao - they would have a fair amount of support . Popular : Chinese tourists use 'selfie sticks ' to take pictures as they stand on Jingshan Park , overlooking the Forbidden City , in February . There are more than 19,000 versions of the sticks for sale on Taobao . 'Museum photos are good for spreading the cultural messages , but we should pay attention to our ways , ' Cao Wei , a celebrated Sina Weibo blogger , told People 's Daily . ' I support the museums ' actions on the selfie stick ban . '
Museum bosses have banned stick in exhibition rooms and narrow areas . The museum has also been forced to remove a painting of the Queen from its main entrance after it was deemed too offensive by some members of the public.