The National Museum of China has come under fire for allowing an ostentatious wedding party to be held at the museum Saturday, allegedly costing 250,000 yuan ($39,175).

After the allegations broke on Sina Weibo, many commenters agreed it was not the wedding itself that posed a problem, rather what the money charged would be spent on.  Experts said public venues like this should be careful about the type of commercial activities they hold.

Administrators confirmed the wedding took place, and said the newlyweds are museum staff.

The museum only charged 20,000 to 30,000 yuan for the catering, said Huang Chen, a museum publicity employee. 

"They are staff and they applied several times before they got final approval. They love the museum, and wanted to make the wedding special by holding it in a cultural site," Huang told the Global Times.

The wedding was an exception for the couple, who agreed to keep a low profile by not hiring wedding planners or putting up signs. The museum will not take applications from residents for weddings, he said.

Other museum staff, however said the wedding cost more.

One anonymous employee told the Global Times that the museum did charge a fee.

"It was a grand wedding and the fee must be high," she said, without giving any details.

Another employee told the Beijing News that the wedding had cost 250,000 yuan plus service fees.

The fifth floor is used for banquets, and it was the first time a wedding was held after a recent renovation, the employee said, explaining residents can contact the museum if they want to hold a wedding party.

Wedding companies advertise ceremonies in places like the Great Hall of the People, for a price. Six years ago it cost 1,000 yuan per guest at the hall, and the current price should be at least 200,000 yuan, said Li Meng, a wedding planner.

Public venues, especially ones like the National Museum, should not be used for weddings as it will affect China's national image, say experts.

"It'll be corruption if the museum offers a venue for weddings at a price. Public sites are built with people's money, so it should be shared among the public," said Zhou Xiaozheng, professor of sociology at Renmin University of China.

Commercial activities in public sites should be banned, the same for the Palace Museum, which was revealed to have allowed a private club to operate inside, he said.

Museum visitors had differing opinions Sunday.

"It'd be better to use the fifth floor as another exhibition space," not banquets, said Clark Tseng, a Taiwanese visitor.

"I'm more concerned how  the money they earn from commercial activities is used," said an anonymous visitor.

"If it's used to improve the infrastructure and services, it'll be OK since it helps save money for the government," she said. 

Huang said the National Museum could hold commercial activities, if policy permits and they are culture-related.

"Commercial activities within certain limits are acceptable, if they don't disrupt normal operations," said Wang Yukai, professor with the Chinese Academy of Governance.

"But the profits shouldn't be taken as welfare for the museum employees," he noted.

Many international public venues hold  commercial activities, such as the Louvre Museum in France, said Liu Zheng, member of the China Cultural Relics Association. The British Museum in London provides services for corporate events and commercial receptions.

Zhang Xin contributed to this story.