Jingshan Park
Beijing, China
Forbidden City, Beijing
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Photo: N509FZ, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Ticket
- ¥40 from 1 November to 31 March, ¥60 from 1 April to 31 October
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Confirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator. - Hours
- Nov–Mar 8:30–16:30, last entry 15:30; Apr–Oct 8:30–17:00, last entry 16:00
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Confirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator. - Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 3 h 30 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery
- ¥10 each, added in the same booking
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Confirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator. - Concessions
- Students (bachelor's level or below) ¥20, over-60s half price — rules for foreign visitors not spelled out
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Children
- Under 18 free for Chinese citizens and permanent residents; nothing stated for foreign tourists
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Booking
- Advance only, with your passport number, on the museum's official site — no tickets on the day
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Confirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator. - Release time
- 20:00 Beijing time, 7 days before the visit date
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Confirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator. - Time slots
- Morning — enter by 12:00; afternoon — enter from 11:00
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Confirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator. - Closed
- Mondays except public holidays; also closed on Chinese New Year's Eve
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Confirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator. - Daily cap
- 40,000 visitors
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Confirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator. - Entry and exit
- Enter only by the Meridian Gate (Wumen, south); exit by Shenwumen (north) or Donghuamen (east)
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Confirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator. - Payment
- The booking site takes WeChat Pay, Alipay and international bank cards
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Confirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator. - Metro
- Line 1, Tiananmen East or Tiananmen West, then walk through Tiananmen Gate
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Confirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator. - Address
- 4 Jingshan Qianjie, Dongcheng District (景山前街4号)
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Confirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Key facts
1406–1420built under the Ming Yongle Emperor
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English and Russian Wikipedia24 emperorslived here — 14 Ming and 10 Qing
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English and Russian Wikipedia72 hainside the walls and moat
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English and Russian Wikipedia980 buildingssurvive; the '9,999 rooms' story isn't backed by surveys
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English and Russian Wikipedia1925the Palace Museum opened, a year after the last emperor, Puyi, was expelled
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English and Russian Wikipedia1987inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
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English and Russian Wikipedia7.9 mheight of the palace wall
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English and Russian Wikipedia52 mwidth of the moat, which is 6 m deep
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English and Russian Wikipedia≈ 30 mheight of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, China's largest surviving wooden hall
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English and Russian Wikipedia40,000visitors a day — the museum's cap
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Palace Museum, official websiteForbidden City tickets: price and how to book with a passport
A ticket costs ¥40 from 1 November to 31 March and ¥60 from 1 April to 31 October. The Treasure Gallery and the Clock Gallery are ¥10 each on top, and you add them in the same booking. Everything is sold online in advance on the Palace Museum's own booking site, which has an English version — never on the day.
Pick a date and a slot — morning (enter by 12:00) or afternoon (enter from 11:00) — then type your name and passport number exactly as in the passport. One passport gets one ticket per day, and the date, slot and visitor can't be changed after payment. Refunds are possible until midnight the day before.
The booking site accepts WeChat Pay, Alipay and international bank cards, so you don't need a Chinese account to pay. If your date is sold out, try other weekdays — Tuesday to Thursday is usually easier than the weekend. The museum says it hasn't authorised any third party to resell tickets; a guided tour still books in your passport name.
Students up to bachelor's level pay ¥20 and over-60s pay half. The museum spells out free entry for under-18s only for Chinese citizens and permanent residents, so book a ticket for each child on their own passport and check the price at checkout.
Forbidden City opening hours and Monday closure
From 1 November to 31 March the museum is open 8:30–16:30, last entry 15:30. From 1 April to 31 October it's 8:30–17:00, last entry 16:00. The Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery stop admitting at 15:40 in winter and 16:10 in summer. It's closed every Monday.
When a Monday is a Chinese public holiday, the museum opens. The one fixed exception runs the other way: it's closed on Chinese New Year's Eve whatever the day. Occasional unplanned closures are announced on the official website.
Take a morning slot and be at the Meridian Gate for 8:30. For the first half hour the vast courtyard in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony is close to empty; by ten the tour groups arrive. Avoid weekends and the early-May and early-October holiday weeks if you can.
How to get to the Forbidden City
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Jingshan Park is about 19 min away on foot.
- Tiananmen Gate is about 12 min away on foot.
More tips
- Take Line 1 to Tiananmen East or Tiananmen West. From Wangfujing (Line 8 interchange) it's one stop west.
- Come up on the north side of Chang'an Avenue, by the gate with Mao's portrait; guides recommend Exit B at Tiananmen East. Expect a bag check and passport check on the way in.
- Walk north through the central arch of Tiananmen Gate, then Duanmen Gate. In 10–15 minutes you reach the Meridian Gate, the museum's only entrance.
- From Capital Airport (PEK): Airport Express to Beixinqiao, Line 5 south to Dongdan, then Line 1 two stops west to Tiananmen East.
- From Daxing Airport (PKX): Daxing Airport Express to Caoqiao, Line 10 to Gongzhufen, then Line 1 east to Tiananmen West.
- You'll come out at Shenwumen, the north gate, where there's no metro. The nearest stations are Shichahai and Nanluoguxiang on Line 8 — cross Jingshan Park on the way.
What to see inside: the route from south to north
- Meridian Gate (Wumen) — the great south gate and the only way in. Passports and tickets are checked here.
- Inner Golden Water River — a curving canal crossed by five marble bridges, just inside.
- Hall of Supreme Harmony — around 30 m tall on a triple marble terrace, the largest surviving wooden hall in China. You look in at the Dragon Throne from the doorway.
- Halls of Central and Preserving Harmony — behind it. North of the second, a carved dragon ramp cut from a single stone 16.57 m long.
- Inner Court — the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Hall of Union and Palace of Earthly Tranquility, where the imperial family lived.
- Imperial Garden — a compact garden by the north gate with a rockery, pavilions and ancient trees.
- Treasure Gallery (¥10) — the Palace of Tranquil Longevity on the east side, entered past the glazed Nine-Dragon Screen.
- Clock Gallery (¥10) — in the Hall for Ancestral Worship: mechanical clocks made for and given to the Qing emperors.
- Leave by Shenwumen and cross the road to Jingshan Park for the view back over the roofs.
How long do you need, and is it worth it?
The central axis from the Meridian Gate to the Imperial Garden takes about 2 hours. Add the Treasure Gallery, Clock Gallery and a few side courtyards and it's 3–4 hours. You could spend a whole day, but most people run out of energy before the palace runs out of halls.
Is it worth it? Yes — it's the single sight that defines Beijing, and nothing else in China matches its scale. The only way it fails you is if you can't get a ticket; in that case climb Jingshan for the view from above and try again for another day.
Plan for distance: it's about a kilometre in a straight line from entrance to exit, and several kilometres with the side courts, mostly on stone paving and steps. There's very little shade in the big courtyards, so bring water in summer and a warm layer in winter.
What is the Forbidden City?
The Forbidden City was the palace of China's emperors from its completion in 1420 until 1924 — 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties ruled from here. Since 1925 it has been the Palace Museum, and in 1987 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Its Chinese name, Zijincheng, means roughly 'Purple Forbidden City': 'purple' points to the North Star, around which the heavens — like the empire around the emperor — were thought to turn. Today Chinese speakers call it Gugong, 'the former palace', and that is the name on signs, tickets and taxi apps.
It's a walled rectangle of 72 hectares behind a 7.9 m wall and a 52 m-wide moat, holding 980 surviving buildings. Almost every roof is yellow, the emperor's colour. The famous '9,999 rooms' is folklore; surveys don't support it.
Before you go
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Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven or Summer Palace?
| Forbidden Cityyou are here | Imperial palace, now a museum | ¥40 | ¥60 | Passport, no sales on the day | Closed | 3–4 hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple of Heaven | Park with imperial altars | ¥10, ¥28 with halls | ¥15, ¥34 with halls | Passport, 1–7 days ahead | Halls closed | About 2 hours |
| Summer Palace | Lakeside imperial retreat | ¥20 | ¥30 | Passport, 1–7 days ahead | Paid sights closed Nov–Mar | Half a day |
With one day in Beijing, the Forbidden City comes first. The Temple of Heaven is cheaper, easier to book and lovely early in the morning. The Summer Palace deserves its own half day in the north-west.
Beijing's palaces compared
Palaces and imperial residences in Beijing rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.
| Forbidden Cityyou are here | 61 | 3 h 30 min | ¥40 Nov–Mar, ¥60 Apr–Oct | — |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiananmen Gate | 49 | 45 min | ¥15, concession ¥5, booking only | 16 min walk |
| Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple) | 36 | 1 h | ≈ ¥25, booked in WeChat | 3.9 km |
| Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) | 34 | 2 h 30 min | ¥10, ¥25 with the ruins | 12.9 km |
| Summer Palace | 33 | 3 h 30 min | ¥20–30, ¥50–60 through ticket | 13.8 km |
| Prince Gong's Mansion | 33 | 1 h 30 min | ¥40, book ahead with passport | 43 min walk |
Tiananmen, the Forbidden City and the view from above
The square in the morning, the palace from opening time, then Jingshan hill and Beihai lake on the way out. Add it to your route and YesGo works out the timings and walks.
- Tiananmen Square45 min · Free, passport booking
- 22 min walk from the previous stopForbidden Cityyou are here3 h 30 min · ¥40 Nov–Mar, ¥60 Apr–Oct
- 15 min walk from the previous stopJingshan Park45 min · ¥2, ¥10 during exhibitions
- 11 min walk from the previous stopBeihai Park2 h · ¥5–10, ¥15–20 with the island
4 places · about 7 h 48 min with walks · 48 min on foot in total
Nearby and on your route
How to do it right
- Set an alarm for 19:55 Beijing time a week before your visit — tickets drop at 20:00.
- Take a morning slot and arrive at 8:30: the first half hour at the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the calmest.
- Add the Treasure Gallery when you book — it's quieter than the main axis and has the Nine-Dragon Screen.
- The route is one-way: you can't walk back out through the Meridian Gate, so don't arrange pick-ups there.
- Out at Shenwumen, cross the road and climb Jingshan — ¥2 and no booking needed.
- Do Tiananmen Square first thing — it's right on the way to the entrance.
- Google Maps doesn't work in China without roaming or a VPN; download an offline map before you go.
- Ignore friendly strangers offering a 'shortcut' or a tea house near the gates — follow the signs.
Questions
How much are Forbidden City tickets?
¥40 from 1 November to 31 March and ¥60 from 1 April to 31 October. The Treasure Gallery and the Clock Gallery cost ¥10 each extra.
How do foreigners book Forbidden City tickets?
Online in advance on the Palace Museum's official booking site, which has an English version. Enter your name and passport number; pay by WeChat Pay, Alipay or international card. Tickets release at 20:00 Beijing time, 7 days ahead.
Can I buy tickets at the gate?
No. The museum doesn't sell tickets on the day. If your date is sold out, try nearby weekdays or a guided tour.
What are the Forbidden City opening hours?
November–March 8:30–16:30, last entry 15:30; April–October 8:30–17:00, last entry 16:00. Closed Mondays except Chinese public holidays.
Is the Forbidden City open on Monday?
No, it closes every Monday unless it's a public holiday. It's also closed on Chinese New Year's Eve.
Which gate is the entrance?
Only the Meridian Gate (Wumen) in the south, reached from Tiananmen. You exit by Shenwumen in the north or Donghuamen in the east, and can't re-enter.
How long do you need at the Forbidden City?
About 2 hours for the central axis and 3–4 hours with the Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery. Add time for security at weekends.
Is the Forbidden City worth visiting?
Yes — it's Beijing's essential sight. Book early, go in the morning, and finish with the view from Jingshan Park across the road.
Which metro station is closest?
Tiananmen East or Tiananmen West on Line 1, then a 10–15 minute walk north through Tiananmen Gate to the Meridian Gate.
Do I need my passport on the day?
Yes, the original passport used for booking. It's checked against your ticket at the Meridian Gate.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- Palace Museum, official website (intl.dpm.org.cn, Visit) — hours, prices, Monday closure, 40,000 daily cap, passport booking, address
- Palace Museum, visitor notice (www.dpm.org.cn) — concessions, Treasure Gallery and Clock Gallery, entry by Wumen, exit by Shenwumen and Donghuamen
- Palace Museum booking system (bookingticket.dpm.org.cn, ticket.dpm.org.cn) — 20:00 release 7 days ahead, time slots, refunds, payment methods
- English and Russian Wikipedia: Forbidden City, Запретный город; Wikidata Q80290
- Visit Beijing (official Beijing tourism portal) — metro, gates, corner towers
- Wanderin China — Exit B at Tiananmen East
- Beijing Municipal Government and Visit Beijing — Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace prices for comparison
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