People doing morning exercises to music, playing instruments and singing Peking opera in city parks will soon be told to keep the noise down, according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Landscape and Forestry (BMBLF).

It will be the first time the decibel reading in local green spaces will be regulated.

Starting in May, noise levels in the city's 67 "top class" parks should not exceed 55 decibels.

The parks themselves will be responsible for enforcing the new rules drafted by the BMBLF, said Zhang Yahong, director of the bureau's park management department.

"The complaints about noise usually have a lot to do with people doing morning exercises in the parks," Zhang said.

She explained that people often complete their morning exercise regimes accompanied by load music.

But she added that parks themselves are sometimes guilty of playing music or broadcasting announcements that are too loud.

"Any sound, as long as park visitors or residents living near the parks have complaints, will be considered as noise," she added.

Previous media reports suggest such complaints have been an issue in and around parks for some time.

The Beijing Municipal Center of Parks carried out a public survey in 2007 that showed noise in the parks, especially in the morning, was one of the top complaints.

In Beihai Park, which is one of the most popular parks in the downtown area, the Five Dragon Pavilion is frequently occupied by groups of people singing together.

Beijing Daily reported that the noise is so loud near the pavilion that people with heart conditions give it a wide berth.

Many people, especially retirees, also like to take exercise by joining in group dancing sessions in parks.

Seventy-two-year-old Li Wendao, who lives near Taoranting Park on the downtown's south side, said conflicts between park users over noise inevitably arise.

"It is understandable that people would want to take part in group dancing sessions, as long as they do it on the basis of respecting other park users," he said. "But the problem is, people usually don't realize they are disturbing others."

He said he often likes to walk in the park and chat with friends.

The city has drawn up a list of its "top class" parks each year since 2002. So far, 67 parks, including the Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace, have been listed.

According to the new standards, public parks will also be ranked on the basis of their prohibition of pets and ability to keep vendors at least 50 meters away from the park entrance.