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Beijing / Your First Day← Your First Day

Visiting Places in Beijing

Know which Beijing ticket needs advance booking, your original passport and the correct entrance.

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Your First Day

Decide what must be verified before you go

Beijing sights do not share one ticket system. The Palace Museum has strict advance, named-ticket rules; the Summer Palace has a staffed passport-assisted route if its online flow rejects your overseas number; Temple of Heaven park admission and access to its famous halls are not the same ticket. Check your exact date, entrance and document before traveling across the city.

A courtyard inside the Forbidden City. For admission, follow the separate Meridian Gate instructions below.
Palace Museum / Forbidden CityA courtyard inside the Forbidden City. For admission, follow the separate Meridian Gate instructions below.See this place’s visiting guidance
Photo credit

Ling Tang · Unsplash License · Resized and displayed with a crop.

Summer Palace architecture with the Tower of Buddhist Incense above. Your admission ticket and chosen gate still need checking.
Summer PalaceSummer Palace architecture with the Tower of Buddhist Incense above. Your admission ticket and chosen gate still need checking.See this place’s visiting guidance
Photo credit

Markus Winkler · Unsplash License · Resized and displayed with a crop.

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at Beijing’s Temple of Heaven
Temple of HeavenThe Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests—not just the outer park. Choose the ticket that covers the buildings you want to visit.See this place’s visiting guidance
Photo credit

tommao wang · Unsplash License · Resized and displayed with a crop.

View toward Tiananmen Gate from the square. The square, rostrum and Palace Museum have separate entry arrangements.
Tiananmen SquareView toward Tiananmen Gate from the square. The square, rostrum and Palace Museum have separate entry arrangements.See this place’s visiting guidance
Photo credit

Conor Murphy · Unsplash License · Resized and displayed with a crop.

Free sample · From the complete guide

Try one part of planning your visit

Palace Museum · from booking to Meridian Gate

A courtyard inside the Forbidden City. For admission, follow the separate Meridian Gate instructions below.
Palace Museum / Forbidden CityA courtyard inside the Forbidden City. For admission, follow the separate Meridian Gate instructions below.
Photo credit

Ling Tang · Unsplash License · Resized and displayed with a crop.

Only visitor entrance午门 · Meridian Gate · south side

  1. Seven days before: open the official channel

    Use the Palace Museum's official English booking page if the Chinese mini program is difficult. Enter each visitor's passport name, number and visit date exactly. The official page states release seven days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time; check the current calendar rather than assuming a ticket is held in your cart.

  2. Before travel: check the ticket and route

    Confirm a completed paid order for the exact date, not merely a payment authorization or search result. Save the order information offline. Check whether you also need a separate Clock Gallery, Treasure Gallery or exhibition ticket.

  3. At the gate: use the south entrance

    Walk to Meridian Gate / 午门. Bring the original passport used in the order. Foreign passport holders can use the staffed manual identity-checking lane. The Shenwu Gate on the north is an exit, not the admission entrance.

If this does not workIf your overseas number or payment blocks booking, use the official English site or call the museum's English-language service at 400-950-1925 (08:00–20:00). Do not plan a same-day walk-in.

Inside the Full Visiting Places Guide

  • Check these before you leave the hotel
  • Which Beijing visit are you trying to make?
  • Palace Museum · from booking to Meridian Gate
  • Summer Palace · when the online phone check fails
  • Temple of Heaven · buy the right ticket
  • Tiananmen Square is a separate reservation decision
  • Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven: finish the entrance workflow
  • Booking help: the exact question to show
  • Fix the problem before you queue
  • The reservation form does not accept my passport or phone

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