Forbidden City Ticket (Beijing Palace Museum)
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Forbidden City (Palace Museum)
Official channels allow ticket purchases within 7 days; reservations for dates 8 days or more in the future are considered advance sales. If the selected date for an advance sale becomes fully booked after ticketing begins, the order will be canceled and refunded.
- After submitting the order successfully, it needs to be manually confirmed for the second time. Because the official website only opens tickets within 7 days, reservations for more than 8 days are pre-sales and need to wait for ticketing.
- Due to the rapid changes in the Palace Museum’s ticket inventory, if the selected date is fully booked after the official system issues tickets, the order will be canceled and refunded.
- The Palace Museum in Beijing is one of the largest and most well-preserved wooden structures in the world. Tour the classic royal courtyard and feel the grandeur of the Palace Museum.
- Click to book Beijing Universal Resort tickets for double the surprises!
- In Beijing, don’t miss visiting Mutianyu Great Wall, Summer Palace, Prince Gong’s Mansion, Temple of Heaven
- The Forbidden City is the palace where large-scale ceremonies were held in ancient times, and where emperors and empresses lived.
- The Palace Museum has a large number of precious cultural relics, accounting for one-sixth of the total number of cultural relics in China.
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What to expect
What’s Included with the Forbidden City Ticket
- Visit the Forbidden City (Palace Museum), a must-see landmark in Beijing and the former imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
- Walk through one of the world’s largest and best-preserved wooden palace complexes, featuring grand halls, vast courtyards, and iconic red walls.
- Discover key highlights such as the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Meridian Gate, palace galleries, and priceless imperial collections.
- Choose from morning or afternoon sessions to better fit your travel schedule.
- Upgrade your visit with an English audio guide to gain deeper insight into the history, architecture, and royal life inside the palace.
- Optional guided tour packages help first-time visitors explore the main route efficiently while learning historical context.
- Entry follows an official south-to-north route, making it easy to plan your visit and exit smoothly.
The Palace Museum in Beijing, also known as the Forbidden City, served as the imperial palace for 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties, making it an ideal place to understand ancient Chinese architecture and history. Here, you can learn about China's long-standing cultural traditions. As the largest and most complete ancient architectural complex in the world, its layout, three-dimensional effect, and formal grandeur are rarely seen, which is why it has been listed as a "World Cultural Heritage Site" by UNESCO. Some of the palaces in the Forbidden City also house comprehensive historical art galleries, painting galleries, categorized ceramic galleries, stationery galleries, and Qing Dynasty court relics exhibitions, which contain a large number of ancient art treasures. Furthermore, the clock demonstration in the clock gallery every day is not to be missed.
The Forbidden City is located in the center of Beijing. Known as the Palace Museum in Chinese (Gugong), it served as the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is now known as the Palace Museum.
After 14 years of construction, the Forbidden City served as the residence of Chinese emperors and their families for over 500 years, from 1420 to 1924, and was also the ceremonial and political center of the Chinese government.
The main gate of the Forbidden City - the Meridian Gate (Wu Gate) - resembles a pair of wings, guarding this majestic and historically rich palace.
Each of the four corners of the Forbidden City's wall has a tower, which is the corner of the palace that the common people outside the wall can most easily see. Therefore, many legends about this palace have been circulating among the people.
The Palace Museum fully demonstrates the magnificence of ancient Chinese palaces and the characteristics of traditional-style architecture.
Don't miss the magnificent autumn scenery of the Forbidden City; come to the Palace Museum and experience the wonderful interweaving of red walls and golden autumn.
After the heavy snow, the Forbidden City is covered in silver white, presenting a unique and elegant view in the serene winter.
The Forbidden City has been designated by UNESCO as the best-preserved ancient wooden architectural complex in the world.
Good to know
Friendly Reminder:
- The most crowded hours for visiting the Forbidden City are from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM daily. It is recommended to plan ahead and avoid the crowds to enjoy the best viewing experience.
- There are many exhibitions, so it is recommended to visit the official website in advance to view the current exhibitions.
- Visiting route: The Forbidden City needs to be visited from south to north. The Meridian Gate is the only entrance, and the exits are the Gate of Divine Might and the Donghua Gate.
- Free baggage storage: The Forbidden City provides free baggage storage service. Registered packages are transported between the Meridian Gate and the Gate of Divine Might (that is, you can store your package at the Meridian Gate entrance and pick it up at the Gate of Divine Might exit). The baggage storage is open from 8:30 to 18:00.
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