# Tiananmen Gate, Beijing

> Tiananmen Gate, the Gate of Heavenly Peace, is the red gateway with Mao's portrait between the square and the Forbidden City; the People's Republic was proclaimed from its rostrum in 1949. Climbing it costs ¥15, booked 1–7 days ahead with your passport, no bags. Open 8:30–16:30 November–March, to 17:00 April–October; closed Mondays. Allow 45 minutes.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-gate

- City: [Beijing](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing), China
- YesGo score: 49/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 45 min
- Entry: ¥15, concession ¥5, booking only
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Tower ticket: ¥15; concession ¥5 for students with a student card
- Free entry: Officially 60+, disabled visitors and military; not confirmed for foreigners
- Booking: Advance only, 1–7 days ahead; new days released at 17:00; no same-day or on-site sales
- Where to book: Website and WeChat account 天安门城楼参观预约, or the Jingtong (京通) mini program in WeChat, Alipay and Baidu
- ID: The document you booked with; for foreigners, the original passport
- Hours Nov–Mar: 8:30–16:30, last entry 16:00
- Hours Apr–Oct: 8:30–17:00, last entry 16:30
- Closed: Mondays; open on public-holiday Mondays
- Bags: Not allowed, nor water, food, power banks or lighters; free bag storage by the gate
- Route: One-way, south to north, ending at the Forbidden City's Meridian Gate
- Children: Under 14 only with an adult who has their own booking
- Metro: Line 1, Tiananmen East or Tiananmen West
- Coordinates: 39.90735, 116.39122
- Facts checked: 04.11.2026

## Key facts

- **¥15** — to climb the rostrum; concession ¥5 (source: Beijing Municipal Government, Tian'anmen Rostrum page)
- **Mondays** — the rostrum is closed; tickets by advance booking only, none sold on site (source: Beijing Municipal Government, rostrum reopening notice)
- **1949** — the People's Republic was proclaimed from the rostrum on 1 October (source: English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **1420** — built as Chengtianmen, the south gate of the Imperial City (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Visit Beijing)
- **1651** — rebuilt after the fire of 1644 and renamed Tiananmen (source: English, Russian and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **5 arches** — through the base; the central one was the emperor's, with Mao's portrait above it (source: Russian and Chinese Wikipedia; Visit Beijing)
- **9 × 5** — bays in the hall on top, east–west by north–south (source: Chinese Wikipedia; Visit Beijing)
- **34.7 m** — height of the gate since its 1970 rebuild (source: Chinese Wikipedia; Visit Beijing (English and Russian Wikipedia give 32 m))
- **1988** — the rostrum opened to tourists (source: Russian and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **National emblem** — the gate appears on China's national emblem (source: English and Russian Wikipedia)

> **No booking, no climb** There are no same-day or walk-up tickets for the rostrum: you book 1–7 days ahead, and it's closed on Mondays. You can still walk through the gate's arches to the Forbidden City without a ticket — the booking is only for going up.

## Tiananmen Gate tower tickets and booking

The climb costs **¥15**, or **¥5** with a concession. Tickets are real-name and booked for a set date and time slot, from the next day up to seven days ahead. Nothing is sold on the day or at the gate. New dates are released **at 17:00 Beijing time** each day, and weekend and holiday slots go quickly.

Book through the official website or the WeChat account **天安门城楼参观预约** (Tian'anmen Rostrum Reservation), or the **Jingtong (京通)** mini program inside WeChat, Alipay or Baidu. The rostrum doesn't authorise any resellers, so a paid “guaranteed booking” is either a guided tour or a gamble.

The ¥5 ticket is for students over 18 with a valid student card. Free entry is announced for over-60s, disabled visitors and military personnel, but the original notice framed it for Chinese citizens, so as a foreigner budget for the full price. Children under 14 must come with an adult who has also booked.

Foreign visitors choose **passport** as the ID type and enter its number; guides say it's checked at the gate and must match the booking. You pay online when you book, normally with WeChat Pay or Alipay — both accept most foreign Visa and Mastercard cards once linked. Russian-issued cards don't work in China.

## Tiananmen Gate opening hours: when to go

The rostrum opens Tuesday to Sunday. From **1 November to 31 March** it's **8:30–16:30**, with last entry at 16:00; from **1 April to 31 October**, **8:30–17:00**, last entry 16:30. The Tiananmen Area Administration Committee publishes these hours each season. It's closed on Mondays; Beijing guides say holiday Mondays are an exception.

Take the earliest slot you can. The route off the rostrum runs one way, north, straight to the Meridian Gate of the [Forbidden City](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/forbidden-city), which also opens at 8:30. Climb the gate first, then carry on into the palace without doubling back — as long as you've booked the palace separately.

The rostrum sometimes closes for weeks at a time for maintenance or events on the square — it was shut for the whole summer in one recent year. If no dates show up in the booking calendar, assume it's closed.

## What is the Gate of Heavenly Peace?

Tiananmen (天安门) was the main southern gate of the old Imperial City, the walled zone around the emperors' palace. The name means “Gate of Heavenly Peace”, and the square in front was named after the gate, not the other way round.

It stands on the north side of Chang'an Avenue, dead on Beijing's central axis. South lies [Tiananmen Square](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-square) with the flagpole and the mausoleum; north are Duanmen Gate and then the Forbidden City. On either side are the former Imperial Ancestral Temple and Zhongshan Park.

It's a single building rather than a museum: a massive stone base pierced by five arches, with a wooden hall on top under a double yellow-tiled roof. Visitors walk out onto the stone terrace in front of the hall — the rostrum from which the People's Republic was proclaimed and from which leaders review national parades.

The gate is on China's national emblem, and Mao's portrait above the central arch is one of the country's most familiar images. From below it reads as a symbol; from the top it works as a viewpoint, giving you the whole axis at once.

## What to see at the gate and from the top

- **Mao's portrait and the two banners** on the south wall: “Long live the People's Republic of China” on the left and “Long live the great unity of the peoples of the world” on the right.
- **The five arches** in the base. The central and largest was reserved for the emperor; today they're the walkway to the Forbidden City.
- **The Golden Water Bridges** in marble over the moat, with stone lions and a pair of carved *huabiao* columns in front of the gate and another behind it.
- **The rostrum** — the stone terrace over the arches, looking south over the flagpole, the Monument to the People's Heroes, the mausoleum and Zhengyangmen Gate in the distance.
- **The hall on top**, nine bays long and five deep, with red columns and a painted ceiling decorated with dragons.
- **The view north** over the roofs of Duanmen and the Meridian Gate, which shows how long the approach to the throne halls really is.

> **Leave your bag, and don't plan to come back** Bags, water, food, power banks, lighters and large camera gear aren't allowed on the rostrum. Guides describe a free bag storage at the gate, on its north side, though they place it differently. The route is one-way: collect your things before you pass Duanmen Gate, because you can't go back.

## How to get to Tiananmen Gate

1. **Metro Line 1** to **Tiananmen East** or **Tiananmen West**. Both stations come up on Chang'an Avenue right by the gate; allow 5–10 minutes from the exit, including the security check.
2. **From the south, Qianmen** on Lines 2 and 8 means crossing the whole square — about 15–20 minutes — and that needs its own free square reservation.
3. **From Capital Airport (PEK)**: the Capital Airport Express to Dongzhimen, Line 2 to Jianguomen, then Line 1 west to Tiananmen East.
4. **From Daxing Airport (PKX)**: the Daxing Airport Express to Caoqiao, then the city metro, changing to Line 1.
5. At the gate, clear security, show your passport and booking by the Golden Water Bridges and climb to the rostrum. Afterwards continue north through Duanmen to the Forbidden City's Meridian Gate, about 10–15 minutes on foot.

## A short history of Tiananmen Gate

The gate was finished in **1420** under the Yongle Emperor as Chengtianmen, the “Gate of Accepting the Mandate of Heaven”. Lightning destroyed it in 1457, and it was rebuilt in 1465 as the gate tower we know. Burned again in 1644 during Li Zicheng's rebellion, it was rebuilt under the Qing and renamed Tiananmen in **1651**.

On **1 October 1949** Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic from the rostrum, and his portrait has hung over the central arch ever since. In 1969–70 the gate was taken down and rebuilt to the same design, this time earthquake-resistant and with modern services; the new structure is slightly taller than the old one.

The rostrum opened to tourists in **1988**. It still closes from time to time for repairs, and access has tightened over the years to today's real-name booking.

## Is Tiananmen Gate tower worth it?

Yes, if you're heading into the Forbidden City anyway and can get a morning slot. For ¥15 and half an hour you get the square and the city's axis from above, and the exit drops you at the Meridian Gate. It's a short climb with no long staircases or exhibitions — a viewpoint with a story, not a museum.

No, if you couldn't book and your time is tight. The portrait, arches and bridges are all visible from the ground for free on your way to the palace. And if you only want one view, [Jingshan Park](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/jingshan-park) behind the Forbidden City looks down over the palace roofs, which the gate can't show you.

Booking is harder for foreigners than the square reservation: the interfaces are mostly in Chinese and near-term slots sell out. If it doesn't work out, you lose little — you'll walk through the gate regardless.

## Before you go: checklist

Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser.

- [ ] Not a Monday, and dates are showing in the booking calendar
- [ ] Rostrum booking for your slot, on the same passport number
- [ ] Original passport with you
- [ ] No bag, water or power bank — or time for bag storage
- [ ] Separate Forbidden City booking if you're continuing north
- [ ] Screenshot of the booking — mobile data around the square can be slow

## Gate tower, square or Forbidden City

|  | Tiananmen Gate tower | Tiananmen Square | Forbidden City |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Entry | ¥15, concession ¥5 | Free | ¥40 Nov–Mar, ¥60 Apr–Oct |
| Booking | 1–7 days, from 17:00 | 1–7 days, from 12:00 | Up to 7 days, from 20:00 |
| Hours Nov–Mar | 8:30–16:30 | 5:00–22:00 | 8:30–16:30 |
| Mondays | Closed | Open | Closed |
| Time needed | 45 minutes | 45 minutes | 2–4 hours |

The gate tower is a short viewpoint between the square and the Forbidden City. If you can only secure one booking, make it the palace — it's the harder ticket, and you can walk under the gate without one.

## Historic Beijing: compare and choose

Historic places in Beijing 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 the central axis

The square early, up onto Tiananmen Gate, through the Forbidden City and the view from Jingshan Park. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

1. [Tiananmen Square](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-square) — YesGo score 68/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free, passport booking
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

## Don't mix them up

Tiananmen Gate is not the square and not the Forbidden City: each has its own booking, and the rostrum ticket doesn't get you into the palace. Zhengyangmen (Qianmen) at the south end of the square is a different gate altogether. The [National Museum of China](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/national-museum-of-china) and [Mao's Mausoleum](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/mao-mausoleum) are free but need their own reservations too.

## Tips

- Book an 8:30 slot plus a Forbidden City ticket for the same morning — the rostrum exit leads straight to the palace entrance.
- Watch the 17:00 release: weekend and holiday slots go in minutes.
- Travel light — no bag means no storage queue and no risk of leaving things behind on a one-way route.
- Photograph the gate and portrait from the square or the bridges; from the top, shoot the panorama south.
- If you can't get a booking, walk through the central arch for free — it's on the way to the Forbidden City.
- A guided tour handles the booking and the Chinese-only interfaces for you.

## Questions

### Can you go up Tiananmen Gate?

Yes. The rostrum is open Tuesday to Sunday with a real-name booking made 1–7 days ahead. Tickets cost ¥15 and aren't sold on site.

### How much is the Tiananmen Gate tower ticket?

¥15, or ¥5 for students with a student card. The free categories were announced for Chinese citizens, so foreigners should expect to pay the full price.

### How do foreigners book the Tiananmen Rostrum?

Use the official website, the WeChat account 天安门城楼参观预约 or the Jingtong mini program: pick a date and slot, choose passport as the ID type and pay online. New dates open at 17:00, a week ahead.

### What are Tiananmen Gate's opening hours?

8:30–16:30 from November to March (last entry 16:00) and 8:30–17:00 from April to October (last entry 16:30). Closed on Mondays.

### Do you need a ticket to walk through Tiananmen Gate?

No. The arches are the public route to the Forbidden City's Meridian Gate; you only need a booking to climb the rostrum.

### How do I get to Tiananmen Gate by metro?

Take Line 1 to Tiananmen East or Tiananmen West; it's 5–10 minutes from the exit. From Qianmen you'd cross the square, which needs its own reservation.

### Whose portrait is on Tiananmen Gate?

Mao Zedong's. It has hung above the central arch since 1 October 1949, flanked by two slogan banners.

### Can I bring a bag up Tiananmen Gate?

No. Bags, water, food, power banks and lighters go into the free bag storage by the gate. Collect them before Duanmen Gate — the route is one-way.

### How long does a visit take?

About 45 minutes including security and bag storage; 15–20 minutes on the rostrum itself is usually enough.

### Is Tiananmen Gate the same as Tiananmen Square?

No. The gate is the building with Mao's portrait at the north end; the square is the open space south of it, named after the gate. They have separate bookings.

## How we checked

Seasonal rostrum hours come from the Tiananmen Area Administration Committee's notices for this season and the last; the government's rostrum page lists 5:00–22:00, which are the square's hours, so we don't use them. Prices, booking channels and metro come from the government's rostrum page; the booking window, no on-site sales, concessions, children under 14 and the south-to-north route from the official reopening notices, which also give the Monday closure and the 17:00 release. The older notice framed free entry for Chinese citizens, the newer English page doesn't say, and Visit Beijing adds a 70+ concession, so free entry for foreigners is marked checking. Holiday-Monday opening, bag storage and the prohibited-items list come from Beijing Bendibao and travel guides without official confirmation, and guides place the storage differently. Passports as the ID and payment by WeChat Pay or Alipay come from guides. Height: Chinese Wikipedia and Visit Beijing give 34.7 m after the 1970 rebuild, English and Russian Wikipedia 32 m; we show the former. Chinese Wikipedia dates the start of construction to 1417; others give 1420 as completion. The official booking site blocks bots and wasn't opened.

## Sources

- Tiananmen Area Administration Committee (tamgw.beijing.gov.cn) — seasonal rostrum hours, notices of 30.03.2026 and 27.10.2026
- Beijing Municipal Government, english.beijing.gov.cn — Tian'anmen Rostrum page (¥15/¥5, free categories, booking channels, metro), 2026
- Beijing Municipal Government — rostrum reopening notice (book a day ahead, 17:00 release, closed Mondays), 09.2025
- Beijing Municipal Government — rostrum reopening of 13.06.2023 (concessions, 7-day booking, no on-site sales, children under 14, south-to-north route)
- Beijing Bendibao (bj.bendibao.com), 04.2026 — hours, holiday Mondays, collect belongings before Duanmen; 09.2025 — bag storage, prohibited items
- Visit Beijing (english.visitbeijing.com.cn) — the hall, five arches, height, history
- Eastchinatrip and Wanderin China, 2026 — bag storage, one-way route, the view from the rostrum
- English, Russian and Chinese Wikipedia: “Tiananmen”, “Тяньаньмэнь”, “天安门”; Wikidata Q83973
- Palace Museum (intl.dpm.org.cn) and YesGo's Tiananmen Square page — for the comparison
- YesGo China notes: card payments (travelto.ru, Lifehacker)

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