# Unit 731 Museum in Harbin > The Unit 731 Museum is a memorial exhibition hall on the site of the former Japanese army Unit 731 in Harbin's Pingfang district, covering the history of that period. Entry is free but needs a real-name booking with your passport. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00–17:00, closed Mondays. Allow about two hours, plus an hour each way from the centre. Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/unit-731-museum - City: [Harbin](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin), China - YesGo score: 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 2 h - With kids: Better without small kids - Entry: Free, with a timed real-name booking - Booking: 1–7 days ahead via the museum's WeChat official account or the “畅游哈尔滨” WeChat mini program - Hours: Tue–Sun 9:00–17:00 - Closed: Mondays, except public holidays - Last entry: New hall 16:00, former site 16:30 - Bring: The original passport you booked with - Time needed: ≈ 2 hours on site, ≈ 1 hour each way from the centre - Metro: Line 1 to the terminus, Xinjiang Street (新疆大街), Exit 2, then ≈ 600 m east - Bus: 338, 343, 348 or 371 to “新疆大街站” - Address: 23 Xinjiang Street (新疆大街23号), Pingfang District - Children: Better suited to adults and teenagers - Payment: Entry is free; for transport use Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign card, or cash - Coordinates: 45.60678, 126.63322 - Facts checked: 05.11.2026 ## Key facts - **Free** — entry for everyone, but only with a timed real-name booking (source: Museum notices (Guangming Daily; Beijing News); China Daily) - **Monday** — closed day — the museum opens if a public holiday falls on it (source: Museum notice (Guangming Daily); chinaservicesinfo.com; chinafortravelers.com) - **9:00–17:00** — Tuesday to Sunday; the new hall stops admitting at 16:00 (source: Museum notice (Guangming Daily); China Daily) - **1–7 days** — how far ahead the official booking channels open (source: Museum notice (Guangming Daily)) - **2015** — the new exhibition hall opened — the dark building you see from the street (source: Wikidata; Chinese Wikipedia; China Daily) - **9,997 m²** — total floor area of the new exhibition hall (source: Chinese Wikipedia; China Daily) - **24.8 ha** — area of the protected former site (source: Chinese Wikipedia; China Daily) - **2006** — the site was listed as a national-level protected heritage site (source: Chinese Wikipedia; status also China Daily) - **≈ 600 m** — walk from Exit 2 of Xinjiang Street, the end of metro Line 1, to the new hall (source: Museum notice (Beijing News); chinafortravelers.com) - **≈ 18 km** — in a straight line from St Sophia Cathedral in central Harbin (source: Wikidata coordinates) > **Book before you go — there is no walk-in entry** Admission costs nothing, but there is no ticket desk: you need a real-name booking for a set time slot, made 1–7 days ahead through the museum's own WeChat channels. Bring the original passport you used to book. If a day is fully booked, staff at the gate cannot add you. ## What is the Unit 731 Museum? It is a **memorial museum** — an exhibition hall on the site of the former Japanese army Unit 731 in Pingfang, a district on Harbin's southern edge, about the history of that period. Its official Chinese name is 侵华日军第七三一部队罪证陈列馆; English guides usually call it the Unit 731 Museum. There are two parts. The **new exhibition hall**, opened in 2015, is the dark, angular building you see from the road. Next to it lies the **former site**, with preserved building remains in the open air, listed as a national-level heritage site. The two parts have different street numbers and different last-entry times, so plan to reach the hall first. This is a place of remembrance rather than a sightseeing stop. Expect a quiet, unhurried visit, and give yourself time afterwards before moving on to anything lively. ## How to book with a foreign passport Booking is **free and in your own name**. According to the museum's notice, slots open 1–7 days before your visit and only through two official channels: the museum's WeChat official account (侵华日军第七三一部队罪证陈列馆) and the “畅游哈尔滨” mini program inside WeChat. The museum warns against third-party sellers, which put your personal data and money at risk. Unofficial guides say a foreign passport works: you enter your name as in the passport, the passport number and nationality, and one account can book for a small group. An earlier museum notice said each day's slots are released at 20:00. Around public holidays and in peak summer they go fast, so book as soon as your date opens. If WeChat is a struggle, ask your hotel front desk to book on their account using your passport details. At the gate you show the live booking code and **your original passport**; both are checked against the time slot. ## Opening hours and how long to spend The museum opens **Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00–17:00**, and is closed on Mondays unless a public holiday falls on one. The new hall stops admitting at 16:00 and the former site at 16:30. Hours and booking rules are sometimes adjusted in the summer peak, so check the museum's WeChat account the day before. Allow **about two hours** on site — roughly an hour and a half in the hall and half an hour outside — or up to three if you like to read every panel. With about an hour each way by metro from the centre, the visit takes half a day. Arriving near opening time leaves the afternoon free for central Harbin. ## What you will see - **The new exhibition hall** — a dark building with a name stone in front; the main exhibition runs through a series of galleries inside. - **The former site** — preserved building remains in the open air, linked by paths with information panels. - **The memorial area** — a quiet spot where visitors pause and leave flowers. - **Visitor services** — free, according to the museum: bag storage, parking, a baby care room, pushchairs and wheelchairs, drinking water and first aid. - **Audio guide** — unofficial sources say it is lent against your passport and comes in English and Russian; whether it is free or paid, they disagree. > **A memorial site: how to behave** Keep your voice low, don't laugh in the galleries and skip smiling selfies or posed shots, inside and at the memorial. Dress soberly — no beachwear or joke T-shirts. Take photos only where signs allow, without flash. Don't touch the building remains or step over barriers. ## How to get to the Unit 731 Museum 1. From [Central Street](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/harbin-central-street), take metro **Line 2** from **Zhongyang Street (中央大街)** three stops to **Museum (博物馆)**. 2. Change to **Line 1** and ride south to the end of the line, **Xinjiang Street (新疆大街)** — 15 stops, about 35 minutes. 3. Leave by **Exit 2** and walk about 600 m east, 8–10 minutes; you pass the former site about 300 m from the exit. Door to door from the centre takes about an hour. 4. Buses 338, 343, 348 and 371 also stop at “新疆大街站” by the same metro station; check the number in a map app first, as routes change. 5. By taxi or DiDi (inside Alipay, English interface), show “731部队罪证陈列馆” — about 40–50 minutes from the centre without traffic, and DiDi shows the fare before you book. For the way back, ordering DiDi is easier than hailing on the street. ## Is it suitable for children? The exhibition deals with **difficult history**, so the museum is better suited to adults and teenagers. Small children will find little they can follow, and the long, quiet galleries tire them quickly. Families with young children often split up: one adult visits while the other stays in the centre with the kids. If you bring teenagers, talk to them beforehand about what kind of place this is and why visitors keep quiet there. > **Free entry — but sort out payment for the ride** You pay nothing at the museum, but the metro, buses and taxis need paying. Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards can be linked to Alipay or WeChat Pay with your passport, and DiDi runs inside Alipay. Single metro tickets are sold by machines in the stations. Carry some cash in small notes as a backup. ## Before you set off Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Booking confirmed for the right date and slot, code opens in WeChat - [ ] Original passport used for the booking in my bag - [ ] Checked my date is not a Monday (or that it's a public holiday) - [ ] Leaving early enough to reach the new hall before 16:00 - [ ] Saved in Chinese: 731部队罪证陈列馆 and 新疆大街站 - [ ] Sober clothes; warm layers in winter — you walk outside between the hall and the site - [ ] Alipay or WeChat Pay set up, or cash for the metro ## Historic places in Harbin compared Places in Harbin with a link to the city's history, rated by YesGo. - [St Sophia Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/harbin-st-sophia-cathedral) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Square free, inside ≈ ¥25 - [Central Street](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/harbin-central-street) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free - [Stalin Park and Flood Control Monument](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/stalin-park) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Jile Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/jile-temple) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ≈ ¥10 - [Sun Island](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/harbin-sun-island) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Park free; winter Snow Expo ticketed - [Unit 731 Museum](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/unit-731-museum) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free, booking required ## Pingfang in the morning, old centre after lunch Visit the museum in Pingfang on a morning booking, then take the metro back for St Sophia Cathedral and Central Street, which sit close together. Add it to your trip and YesGo will work out the timings and walks. 1. [Unit 731 Museum](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/unit-731-museum) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free, booking required 2. [St Sophia Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/harbin-st-sophia-cathedral) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Square free, inside ≈ ¥25 3. [Central Street](https://yesgo.io/china/harbin/harbin-central-street) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free ## Names and addresses The museum appears under several names — Unit 731 Museum, Unit 731 Exhibition Hall, 731部队罪证陈列馆 — all the same place. It has two addresses on Xinjiang Street (新疆大街): the new hall at No. 23 and the former site at No. 47; some listings give No. 21. Search by the Chinese name in map apps. ## Tips - Book the moment your date opens — holiday and summer slots go quickly. - See the new hall first: it stops admitting half an hour before the outdoor site. - A screenshot of the booking may be refused — keep the live code open in WeChat and carry your passport. - Leave a big bag in the free storage at the entrance. - In winter dress for the cold: part of the visit is outdoors, and January daytime highs in Harbin average about −12 °C. - Plan something calm for afterwards, such as an unhurried walk along Central Street. ## Questions ### Where is the Unit 731 Museum in Harbin? In Pingfang district on Harbin's south side, at 23 Xinjiang Street (新疆大街) — about 18 km in a straight line from the centre. The nearest metro station is Xinjiang Street, the end of Line 1. ### How much is the entry fee? Entry is free. You still need a timed real-name booking and the original passport at the gate. ### Can foreigners visit the Unit 731 Museum? Yes. Unofficial guides say you can book with a foreign passport — name, passport number and nationality — through the museum's WeChat account or the “畅游哈尔滨” mini program. A hotel desk can help if WeChat is not set up. ### What are the opening hours? Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00–17:00. Last entry is 16:00 for the new hall and 16:30 for the former site. Closed Mondays, except public holidays. ### How do I get to the Unit 731 Museum from central Harbin? Metro Line 2 to Museum, change to Line 1 and ride to the terminus, Xinjiang Street; take Exit 2 and walk about 600 m east. About an hour in total, or 40–50 minutes by taxi. ### How long should I spend there? About two hours for the hall and the outdoor site, up to three if you take your time. Add about an hour each way from the centre. ### Is the museum suitable for children? The exhibition deals with difficult history, so it is better for adults and teenagers. With young children, choose another sight for that half day. ### Can I take photos inside? Only where signs allow, and without flash. It is a memorial site, so posed or smiling selfies are out of place. ### What should I wear? Something sober — no beachwear or joke prints. In winter dress warmly, as you walk outdoors between the hall and the former site. ## How we checked The English core comes from search results and related questions. At the owner's decision this page is practical only: booking, hours, getting there and how to behave on site. Hours, the closed day, the booking window and channels follow the museum's latest notice; an earlier notice gave a 3-day window and a 17:30 close for the former site — we show the newer rules. One English listing gives 8:30–18:00, which contradicts the museum's notice, so we leave it out. The new hall's street number appears as 23 or 21, the former site as 47. Booking with a foreign passport, the slot release time and the audio guide are unofficial; sources disagree on whether the audio guide is free. Metro time is estimated from the number of stops on Line 1; taxi time is unofficial. Distance is from Wikidata coordinates. ## Sources - Museum notice on opening hours and booking, as reported by Guangming Daily (gmw.cn) - Earlier museum notice, as reported by Beijing News (bjd.com.cn): visitor services, addresses, metro and buses - China Daily (govt.chinadaily.com.cn): new hall opening, floor and site area, address, hours - chinaservicesinfo.com: address, closed day, phone numbers - Chinese Wikipedia: 侵華日軍第七三一部隊罪證陳列館; Wikidata Q60577004 - English Wikipedia: Line 1 (Harbin Metro) — station list - chinafortravelers.com: booking with a foreign passport, audio guide, time needed (unofficial); Lonely Planet — audio guide (unofficial) --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.