# Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, Beijing

> The Chairman Mao Memorial Hall is the colonnaded hall at the south end of Tiananmen Square where Mao's embalmed body lies in a crystal coffin. Entry is free with a real-name booking made 1–6 days ahead; it opens Tuesday to Sunday, 8:00–12:00. Bags and cameras stay outside. You're inside for minutes; allow an hour with the queue.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/mao-mausoleum

- City: [Beijing](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing), China
- YesGo score: 55/100 (Yes, go)
- Time on site: 30 min
- With kids: Better without small kids
- Entry: Free, real-name booking only
- Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 8:00–12:00
- Closed: Mondays; holiday and anniversary hours announced separately
- Booking: 1–6 days ahead: the 毛主席纪念堂 WeChat account, the 毛主席纪念堂预约 mini-program or the hall's People's Daily web page
- ID: The document you booked with — for foreigners, your original passport
- Not allowed in: Bags of any size, cameras, camcorders, tablets, water and any liquids
- Bag storage: East side of the square, by the National Museum
- Storage fee: Sources differ: free or a few yuan
- Photos inside: Not allowed; phone off or on silent
- Dress: Neat; hats off; vests and flip-flops turned away
- Flowers: Sold at the entrance, laid at the statue in the North Hall
- Metro: Qianmen (Lines 2 and 8) or Tiananmen East (Line 1)
- Address: Tiananmen Square, south of the Monument to the People's Heroes, Dongcheng
- Coordinates: 39.90102, 116.39158
- Facts checked: 04.11.2026

## Key facts

- **Free** — entry with a real-name booking 1–6 days ahead (source: Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, official page on People's Daily)
- **8:00–12:00** — opening hours, Tuesday to Sunday (source: Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, official page on People's Daily)
- **No bags** — bags, cameras and drinks go to the storage room on the square's east side (source: Chairman Mao Memorial Hall visitor notes, People's Daily)
- **1977** — opened on 9 September, the first anniversary of Mao's death (source: Chinese and English Wikipedia)
- **24 Nov 1976** — foundation stone laid on the site of the demolished Gate of China (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **44 columns** — granite, each 17.5 m tall, ring the building (source: Chinese and Russian Wikipedia)
- **33.6 m** — height of the main building (source: Chinese and Russian Wikipedia)
- **3.45 m** — height of the seated marble statue of Mao in the North Hall (source: Chinese and Russian Wikipedia)
- **6 memorial rooms** — upstairs: Mao, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Deng Xiaoping, Chen Yun (source: Chinese Wikipedia; People's Daily)
- **1983** — first memorial rooms opened; two more were added in 2001 (source: Chinese Wikipedia; English Wikipedia (1983 decision))

> **Mornings only, booking only, no bags** The hall opens **Tuesday to Sunday until noon** and is closed on Mondays. You need a booking for your date, and you can't take in even a small bag, a camera or a bottle of water. Check your things first — turning up at 11:30 with a backpack means you won't make it in.

## How do foreigners book the Mao Mausoleum?

Entry is free but needs a **real-name booking 1–6 days ahead**. The official channels are the 毛主席纪念堂 WeChat account, the 毛主席纪念堂预约 mini-program and the hall's page on the People's Daily website. At the door you show the same ID you booked with and it's checked against the reservation.

The official notes only ask for “valid ID” and don't mention foreign visitors. For you that means your **passport**, but guides warn the system may ask for a Chinese phone number, and some readers report it wanting a Chinese ID card — so we mark this as unconfirmed.

If online booking fails, guides suggest the International Visitors Desk at the hall's southeast corner: come at opening time with your passport and you may get a same-day slot if any remain. That's unofficial and not guaranteed. The surest route is a guided tour where the guide makes the booking.

A mausoleum booking does **not** replace the separate (also free) reservation for [Tiananmen Square](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-square) — the hall sits inside the fenced square with its own checkpoint. Some guides say the mausoleum booking gets you onto the square, but we found nothing official, so book both.

Paying isn't needed for the booking itself. For the few yuan you might spend on a flower or bag storage, carry small cash — Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card also work in China, but cash is simplest here.

## Mao Mausoleum opening hours and closures

The hall opens **Tuesday to Sunday, 8:00–12:00**, and is closed on Mondays. On national holidays and anniversaries the hours are announced separately, and the hall can shut at short notice when events are held on the square.

It also closes for maintenance from time to time. Recently it was shut for almost six months of renovation before reopening. Before you go, check the notices in the official WeChat account or on the booking page.

Get there early in the morning. Queues form before opening and the hall closes at noon — aim to be in line by 11:00 at the latest. The busiest days are 9 September and 26 December, the anniversaries of Mao's death and birth, plus national holidays.

## Bags, cameras and the storage room

Banned inside: **bags of any size, cameras and camcorders, tablets, water, drinks and any liquids**, plus knives, lighters and anything flammable. Bring only your passport, your phone and a little cash.

The storage room is on the **east side of the square**, by the National Museum and closest to Tiananmen East station. Drop your things before you join the line. The exit is on the south side, so you'll walk back across the square to collect them.

Sources disagree on the fee: some recent guides say storage is free, older ones quote 2–10 yuan per bag or camera. Use only the official counter — guides warn about touts offering to mind bags for more. Easiest of all is to arrive with nothing to check.

## What's inside the Mao Mausoleum?

- **North Hall** — where you enter. A 3.45 m seated Mao in white marble faces you, with a huge landscape painting behind. This is where visitors lay flowers and bow.
- **Hall of Last Respects** — the heart of the visit. Mao lies in a crystal coffin on a black granite base, dressed in a grey Mao suit and draped with the Communist Party flag, with an honour guard alongside. You file past in two lines without stopping.
- **South Hall** — the way out, with Mao's poem in his own calligraphy carved in gold on a white marble wall. Souvenir stalls follow, then the exit towards Qianmen.
- **Upper floor** — memorial rooms for six leaders: Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Deng Xiaoping and Chen Yun, plus a film hall.
- **Outside** — four sculpture groups at the north and south entrances, which you're free to photograph.

> **Can you take photos inside?** No. Photography and filming are banned inside and cameras must be checked before you queue. Phones are allowed, but switched off or silenced and kept in your pocket — staff are strict. Shoot the colonnade and the sculptures outside instead.

## Dress code, flowers and etiquette

Dress **neatly**: vests and flip-flops are turned away, and hats come off before you go in. Inside, keep quiet, don't stop by the coffin and stay in your line. No smoking, eating or littering.

Many Chinese visitors buy a **chrysanthemum** near the entrance for a few yuan and leave it at the statue in the North Hall. It's entirely optional, and most foreign visitors walk through without one.

This is a place of remembrance rather than a museum: you move with the flow and talking is frowned upon, so read up on the halls before you go.

## How to get to the Mao Mausoleum

1. **Qianmen metro station** (Lines 2 and 8) is closest: come up by Zhengyangmen Gate and walk north into the square — 5–10 minutes to the hall, plus the square's security check.
2. **Tiananmen East** (Line 1) suits you if you're carrying a bag: the storage room is on that side. Check your bag, clear the square's security and walk south past the National Museum — about 10–15 minutes.
3. **From Capital Airport (PEK)**: Capital Airport Express to Dongzhimen, then the Line 2 loop to Qianmen.
4. **From Daxing Airport (PKX)**: Daxing Airport Express to Caoqiao, then the city metro to Qianmen.
5. Taxis can't stop at the square, so get dropped near Qianmen and walk. Join the queue at the hall's **north entrance** with your passport and booking.

## How long does the visit take, and is it worth it?

The walk through the halls takes only **a few minutes** — you keep moving. The rest is security at the square, bag storage, the queue and a second check at the hall. Allow about an hour in total, more at weekends and on holidays.

Is it worth it? If you're curious about 20th-century China, yes: it's a short, striking visit and you see how many Chinese people still come to pay respects. If your Beijing time is tight, put the [Forbidden City](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/forbidden-city) first — it's the harder ticket and the bigger sight.

## A short history

Mao Zedong died on **9 September 1976**. The foundation stone was laid on 24 November 1976 on the site of the demolished Gate of China, the southern gate of the old Imperial City; building finished in May 1977, and the hall opened on **9 September 1977**, the first anniversary of his death.

Materials came from all over the country, from Sichuan granite to pine from Yan'an and stones from Everest. Memorial rooms for Mao, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi and Zhu De opened upstairs in 1983; rooms for Deng Xiaoping and Chen Yun were added in 2001. The hall has closed for major repairs several times, including in 1997 and 2007.

## Before you go

- [ ] It's not Monday, and there's an hour before noon
- [ ] Mausoleum booking for today, on the same passport
- [ ] Separate Tiananmen Square booking
- [ ] Original passport with you
- [ ] No bag, camera or water — or time for bag storage
- [ ] No vest or flip-flops; hat off
- [ ] Small cash for a flower, if you want one
- [ ] Phone on silent

## Mausoleum, square or Forbidden City

|  | Mao Mausoleum | Tiananmen Square | Forbidden City |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Entry | Free | Free | 40 yuan Nov–Mar, 60 Apr–Oct |
| Booking | 1–6 days ahead | 1–7 days ahead | Up to 7 days, none on the day |
| Hours | 8:00–12:00 | 5:00–22:00 | 8:30–16:30 Nov–Mar |
| Monday | Closed | Open | Closed |
| Time needed | ≈ 1 hour with the queue | 45 minutes | 2–4 hours |

The mausoleum is for those curious about modern China; on a first trip the Forbidden City matters more. They combine easily: the mausoleum at 8:00, then north through Tiananmen Gate to the Meridian Gate.

## Beijing history: compare and choose

Beijing's historic sights rated by YesGo.

- [Tiananmen Square](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-square) — YesGo score 68/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free, passport booking
- [Forbidden City](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/forbidden-city) — YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h 30 min · ¥40 Nov–Mar, ¥60 Apr–Oct
- [Chairman Mao Memorial Hall](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/mao-mausoleum) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free, booking required
- [Temple of Heaven](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/temple-of-heaven) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · ¥10–15, ¥28–34 with halls
- [Great Hall of the People](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/great-hall-of-the-people) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · ¥30, students ¥15; WeChat booking
- [Tiananmen Gate](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-gate) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ¥15, concession ¥5, booking only
- [National Museum of China](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/national-museum-of-china) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free, passport booking
- [Wangfujing Street](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/wangfujing-street) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
- [Beijing hutongs](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-hutongs) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; rickshaw about ¥100–200
- [Nanluoguxiang](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/nanluoguxiang) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, open 24 hours
- [Houhai Lake and Shichahai](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/houhai-lake) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free
- [Jingshan Park](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/jingshan-park) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ¥2, ¥10 during exhibitions
- [Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/lama-temple) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥25, booked in WeChat
- [Drum and Bell Towers](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-drum-and-bell-towers) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥30 for both towers
- [Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan)](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/old-summer-palace) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥10, ¥25 with the ruins
- [Beihai Park](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beihai-park) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ¥5–10, ¥15–20 with the island
- [Confucius Temple and Imperial Academy](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-confucius-temple) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ¥30, one ticket with the Guozijian
- [Summer Palace](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-summer-palace) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h 30 min · ¥20–30, ¥50–60 through ticket
- [Prince Gong's Mansion](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/prince-gong-mansion) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ¥40, book ahead with passport
- [798 Art Zone](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/798-art-zone) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free; some exhibitions charge
- [Great Wall at Badaling](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/badaling-great-wall) — YesGo score 27/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ¥40 entry; ¥35 November–March
- [Beijing Zoo](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-zoo) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ¥10–15, ¥14–19 with pandas
- [Ming Tombs](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/ming-tombs) — YesGo score 23/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥20–40 per site, ¥30–60 in summer
- [Great Wall at Juyongguan](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/juyongguan-great-wall) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥35 entry; ¥40 April–October
- [Great Wall at Mutianyu](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/great-wall-mutianyu) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥40–45 entry; cable car ¥100–140
- [Gubei Water Town and Simatai Great Wall](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/gubei-water-town) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥140 entry; ¥170 with Simatai wall

## A morning on Beijing's central axis

The mausoleum at opening time, then through Tiananmen Gate into the Forbidden City and the view from Jingshan Park. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

1. [Chairman Mao Memorial Hall](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/mao-mausoleum) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free, booking required
2. [Tiananmen Gate](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-gate) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ¥15, concession ¥5, booking only
3. [Forbidden City](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/forbidden-city) — YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h 30 min · ¥40 Nov–Mar, ¥60 Apr–Oct
4. [Jingshan Park](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/jingshan-park) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ¥2, ¥10 during exhibitions

## Tips

- Travel light: with no bag you skip the storage room and save half an hour.
- Book both the square and the mausoleum — they're separate reservations.
- Be in line by 11:00; entry closes towards noon.
- You exit on the south side, right by Qianmen Street — a natural next stop.
- Screenshot your booking QR code; mobile data around the square can be slow.
- If the booking system beats you, a guided tour handles the reservation.

## Questions

### Can foreigners visit the Mao Mausoleum?

Yes. Book a free slot 1–6 days ahead and bring your original passport. If the WeChat mini-program asks for a Chinese phone number, guides suggest the International Visitors Desk at the southeast corner early in the morning, or a guided tour.

### Do I need a reservation?

Yes, a real-name booking through the 毛主席纪念堂 WeChat account, the 毛主席纪念堂预约 mini-program or the People's Daily page — plus a separate Tiananmen Square booking.

### Is the Mao Mausoleum free?

Yes, entry is free. You might spend a few yuan in cash on a flower or, according to some guides, on bag storage.

### What are the opening hours?

Tuesday to Sunday, 8:00–12:00. Closed on Mondays; holiday hours are announced separately, and the hall can close for events on the square.

### Can you take photos inside?

No. Cameras must be checked in, and phones have to be off or silent. You can photograph the building and its sculptures from outside.

### Can I bring a bag?

No bag of any size, no camera, no water or other liquids. Leave them in the storage room on the east side of the square before you queue.

### How long is the line?

It's long but moves quickly. Inside you spend only a few minutes; with security and bag storage, allow about an hour, more at weekends and holidays.

### Is there a dress code?

Dress neatly — vests and flip-flops are turned away, and hats come off. Keep quiet inside.

### What do you see inside?

A marble statue of Mao in the North Hall, his body in a crystal coffin in the Hall of Last Respects, and his poem on the wall of the South Hall. Upstairs are memorial rooms for six leaders.

### Which metro station is closest?

Qianmen on Lines 2 and 8, a short walk north. Tiananmen East on Line 1 is better if you need the bag storage room.

## How we checked

Hours, free entry, the 1–6-day booking window and channels, the reopening after renovation, banned items, the east-side storage room and conduct rules come from the hall's official People's Daily page and visitor notes. Those only ask for “valid ID” and don't mention foreigners, so the passport row is marked checking; the Chinese phone number problem and the International Visitors Desk come from guides only. Storage fees conflict: Ruqin Travel says free, older Tour Beijing and Visit Beijing pages give 2–10 yuan — we show both. Flowers and their price come from Visit Beijing (2014) and Tour Beijing with no recent confirmation. The vest and flip-flop ban is from Bendibao, Visit Beijing and Tour Beijing; the official notes say “neat dress”. Square access with a mausoleum booking is guide-only, so we advise booking the square too, as on our square page. The opening date follows Chinese and English Wikipedia (9 September 1977); Russian Wikipedia gives 1979 but is flagged as poorly sourced. Building figures come from Chinese and Russian Wikipedia. Ctrip and intotravelchina block bots and weren't opened. Forbidden City and square figures come from the Palace Museum and the Beijing government.

## Sources

- Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, official page on People's Daily (cpc.people.com.cn) — hours, 1–6-day booking, booking channels, ID, reopening after renovation, electronic souvenir ticket
- Chairman Mao Memorial Hall visitor notes (瞻仰须知), same site — banned items, storage room on the square's east side, dress, silence, phones
- Beijing Bendibao (bj.bendibao.com) — dress (no vests or slippers), hats, bag storage
- Visit Beijing (english.visitbeijing.com.cn), 2014 — flowers, dress, bag storage
- Ruqin Travel and Wanderin China, 2026 — booking for foreigners, International Visitors Desk, route inside, bag storage
- Tour Beijing — bag storage, flowers, route through the halls
- Chinese, English and Russian Wikipedia: 毛主席纪念堂, Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, Мавзолей Мао Цзэдуна; Wikidata Q1154819
- Palace Museum (intl.dpm.org.cn) and Beijing Municipal Government — Forbidden City and square figures for comparison

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