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The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City
An UNESCO World Heritage Site

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    Everything you need to know before visiting the museum

    Buy Forbidden City Tickets
Hours & Admission
Map, entrances & directions
List of available galleries
Vistor facilities map
Visitor rules
FAQ

​​Hours & admission

Opening hours:

​High Season: Apr 1st -Oct 31st

8:30 AM → 17:00 PM

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

Stop Entry Time: 16:10pm, Stop Ticketing Time:16:00pm

Closed

Monday 

(except for national holidays)

Low Season: Nov 1st-Mar 31st

8:30 AM → 16:30 PM

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

Stop Entry Time: 15:40pm, Stop Ticketing Time:15:30pm

Closed

Monday 

(except for national holidays)

*Forbidden City (The Palace Museum) is open Tuesday through Sunday all year round and on national holidays that fall on Mondays, except for the eve of the Spring Festival. 

*There may be temporary closures which cannot always be scheduled in advance, since something unpredictable does happen frequently. The management of the Museum would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused.

​​Map, entrances & directions

Maps:

Download the map

Entrances:

The Meridian Gate(Wu men)

Directions:

Getting to Forbidden City (The Palace Museum)

Entrance: 
Wumen (Meridian Gate) -South Gate of the Forbidden City(The Palace Museum)

Walking Direction:                
Tian'anmen-Duanmen-Wumen(Entrance)

Metro: 
Tian'anmen West（天安门西） or Tian'anmen East（天安门东） Line 1 

Public Bus: 
Tian'anmen West（天安门西）of Bus Line：1、5、52、99, Night Line1,  Seghtseeing Line 1,2 
Tian'anmen East (天安门东） of Bus Line: 1、120、2、52、59、82、99,  Night Line1、2、17,  Sightseeing Line1、2 

​​List of available galleries

The Clock Gallery

Additional admission required

The gallery features eighty-two timepieces from the Museum’s collection; of these, twenty-one were made in China and sixty-one were manufactured overseas.

The Treasure
Gallery

Additional admission required

It consists of six gallery rooms displaying pieces from the imperial collection and extant accoutrements for palace life. 

The Furniture Gallery

The exhibition includes a display of over 300 pieces or sets of Qing-dynasty (1644–1911) furniture used by the imperial court.

The Tools of War Gallery

A hall for archery was first built in front of the Hall for Ancestral Worship (Fengxian dian) during the reign of the Shunzhi Emperor (r. 1644-1661) in the early Qing, when mounted archers were brought into the core of the dynasty's military forces.

The Sculpture Gallery

The Sculpture Gallery is located in the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, with five exhibition galleries entitled: Supreme Sculpture, Han and Tang Terracotta Figures, Stone and Brick Reliefs, Xiude White Stone, and Buddhist Statues.


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​​Visitor facilities Map

Download the facilities map

​​Visitor rules

  • Smoking is strictly forbidden inside the Palace Museum. 
  • Scratching surfaces and graffiti are strictly prohibited. 
  • Please watch your personal belongings. 
  • No pets.
  • Photography Policy： 
1. Photography is permitted for private, non-commercial use outdoors throughout the Forbidden City, except for sites or areas with "No Photography" signs. 
2. Visitors are not permitted to take photographs inside halls with original interior decoration whether on the central axis or the west route. 
3. The use of tripods and flash is prohibited in both special and permanent exhibitions. 

4. Works of art on loan from other institutions, domestic and abroad, may not be photographed. 

5. Photography is prohibited in some of the gift shops as indicated. 

6. For special photography, please contact the Director's Office (Fax: (8610)8500-7415, gugong@dpm.org.cn). 

7. The Museum reserves the right to make any necessary adjustments to its photography policy.

​​Frequent Asked Questions

How to use our tickets to enter the Forbidden City (the Palace Museum)?
Just show passport to get access at the Entrance - Wumen Gate (Meridian Gate).  On the day of visiting, you could go to the Wumen Gate(Meridian Gate) of Forbidden City to check in by yourself. Just show up with your passports on the date and time selected and scan them to check in directly at the entrance to the Forbidden City and its inside galleries.  Paper tickets and printed email are not necessary.
Could I change or cancel the tickets?
Yes, you could change or cancel the tickets 12hours prior to designated entry time. We support free Change & Cancellation if sending the request by email within 12hours before the designated entry time.  Cancellation or change within 12 hours are not supported. 
If I choose the morning session starting at 08:30, do we need to be present exactly at 08:30? or can we enter later?

You don't need to present exactly at 08:30am for morning session ticket, you could enter at anytime during 08:30am-12:00pm.
If you choose the afternoon session starting at 11:00am, you could enter anytime during 11:00am-15:30pm.

Can I buy the Forbidden City tickets on spot?

Now all tickets are sold online. Buying tickets on spot is not supported. There is no ticketing window available on spot, just a stand with QR code for you to scan and buy tickets by Wechat. Besides, you need to book tickets in advance for at least one day. But please note in high season, tickets are easily to be sold out. 

Can I hire a guide for visiting the Forbidden City?

Yes, we also offer English Speaking Guide service if you request in advance.  Please contact us at info@forbiddencitytickets.com  for more information.  

Can I pay for the tickets by credit card?
Yes, we support the payment by credit card via paypal. 
Can I pay for tickets by using my Wechat Wallet or Alipay?

Yes, if you want to use Wechat wallet or Alipay to pay for tickets, you could send me your personal information and the tickets type to us (including full name, Date of Birth, and Passport number to us) , then we will book the tickets manually for you. After we booked the tickets, we will send you the booking records, then you could transfer the payment to us via Wechat or Alipay. 

Is this the official website of the Forbidden City?

We are not the official website, but we are the Official Authorizated Ticketing Agency of Forbidden City (Palace Museum).  Since the official website only provide Chinese version booking page by using a Chinese Cell Number and Chinese Bank Card.  You also have to translate every step to English when placing the order, which is rather difficult for Non-Chinese visitors. 

Official Site:  https://en.dpm.org.cn

Official Ticketing Site: https://gugong.ktmtech.cn/

For more questions, please write to us at info@forbiddencitytickets.com