Attraction tickets in China: the Forbidden City, Terracotta Army and Great Wall – how to book with your passport

In short: for China's most popular sights – the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army, the panda base or the Li River cruise – you can't just buy a ticket at the gate. Tickets are in your name, linked to your passport number, for a specific day (often a time slot too) and with a daily cap. Sales usually open a few days ahead at a fixed Beijing time – for the Forbidden City 7 days before your visit at 20:00, which is 12:00 UTC. The easiest way to book is Trip.com in English, and at the entrance your passport is your ticket. Many places (including the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven and the Shanghai Museum) haven't required reservations since 2024.

In China your passport opens the gates like a ticket: you show it at the entrance and you're in. It feels odd at first, but after a few days we couldn't imagine it any other way.

Correct as of 22 October 2026. Booking rules in China change often – check the sales opening time on Trip.com or the attraction's official site before you travel. Amounts in yuan are converted at the National Bank of Poland rate into the currency you pick in the site menu.

How tickets work in China

• The ticket is your passport. When booking, you enter your name exactly as in your passport and your passport number. Nothing is printed – you show your passport at the entrance.
• One passport, one ticket per day. You can't buy several tickets on your number, and every family member (children too) needs their own booking.
• Sales open at a fixed time a few days before the visit (e.g. 7 days ahead at 20:00). In high season tickets to the most popular places are gone within minutes.
• Daily cap. Once the quota is gone, you can't get in that day – ticket offices on site usually don't sell tickets or have none left.
• Entry time. Some attractions (e.g. Wulingyuan, Tianmen Mountain, the Li River cruise) sell tickets for a specific time or time slot.

This system was introduced during the pandemic, and some cities have since dropped it. In June 2024 Beijing scrapped reservations for most attractions – the Forbidden City and the National Museum are among the exceptions – and Shanghai lets individual visitors into the Shanghai Museum without booking. So check for every place on your route whether a reservation is needed.

Top attractions: when ticket sales open

For details and more sights, see our guides: Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guilin and Yangshuo, Zhangjiajie and Yunnan.

What time ticket sales open where you are

Sales opening times are given in Beijing time (UTC+8, no daylight saving) (China time zone):

How to book step by step

Trip.com – the easiest way

1. Switch Trip.com to English and open Attractions & Tours (hotels, trains and flights), then search for the attraction.
2. Choose the admission ticket (usually "admission ticket"), not a guided tour – unless that's what you want.
3. Pick the day and entry time if needed.
4. Enter your passport details: your name exactly as in your passport (as in the machine-readable zone at the bottom of the photo page) and your passport number. Separately for each person – save your travellers in your Trip.com account the day before, so on sales day you just tick them.
5. Pay by card. The confirmation arrives by email and appears in the app – take a screenshot in case you have no internet.

Trip.com sells tickets only once the official quota opens, so you still need to be on time. Some attractions also have "packages" with a guide or transport – pricier, but they have a separate quota and can save the day when regular tickets are gone.

Official websites and WeChat

• The Forbidden City has an English site for foreign visitors: intl.dpm.org.cn. You buy at the official price and pay with a foreign card.
• Many museums and parks sell tickets only in WeChat mini-programs (e.g. Tiananmen Square, the Shaanxi History Museum, Yulong rafts). Choose passport (护照) or other documents (其他证件) as your ID type. Unfortunately, some mini-programs only accept a Chinese ID card – then Trip.com is your fallback.
• Alipay has tickets for some attractions in its travel section, and payment works right away (how to pay in China).

If tickets are sold out

• Check again in the evening and in the morning – people return tickets, and the quota sometimes refills.
• Book a guided tour – travel agencies have their own ticket quotas, e.g. for the Forbidden City and the Terracotta Army.
• Swap the order of your days – if Wednesday is sold out, move the visit and see something without a reservation on Wednesday.
• Don't buy from touts (黄牛) outside – a ticket on someone else's passport won't work anyway.

At the entrance

• Bring your original passport. A photo, scan or photocopy won't do.
• Look for the staffed lane (人工通道). Automatic gates read Chinese ID cards, while passports are scanned by staff.
• Airport-style security: bag X-ray and a metal detector. Large bags, knives or lighters may be confiscated, and museums often don't allow drinks.
• Be on time. With timed tickets, arriving late may mean you're not let in.
• Keep your passport on you all day – you may need it at later gates too, e.g. for cable cars or park buses.

Discounts: seniors, children and students

• Seniors: many attractions let older visitors in cheaper or free, but each province sets its own age threshold (usually 60, 65 or 70). The Summer Palace in Beijing is free for everyone aged 60 and over, foreigners included, on showing a passport, and attractions in Zhangjiajie are free from 65 (half price at 60–64). The discount is often only available at the ticket office or through the official channel, not in every app.
• Children: usually free or half price – the cut-off is age or height (often 1.2 m). Even so, a child needs their own booking on their own passport.
• Students: student discounts are usually for students at Chinese universities. An international student card (ISIC) is sometimes accepted at the ticket office, but rarely online – don't count on it.

Common mistakes

1. Wrong date because of the time difference – sales open on Beijing time, not yours.
2. First name and surname swapped or a typo – your name must match your passport.
3. A new passport after booking – tickets are tied to your passport number. If you're renewing your passport before the trip, book with the new one.
4. Sightseeing on a Monday – the Forbidden City and most museums are closed.
5. Passport left at the hotel – without it you won't get in, even with the confirmation on your phone.
6. Last-minute booking in high season – in May, July, August and during Chinese holidays (1–7 October, Chinese New Year) tickets go in minutes (best time to visit China).

More traps: common mistakes in China.

Frequently asked questions

How do I buy Forbidden City tickets?

Online only, with your passport number: on the museum's English site intl.dpm.org.cn or on Trip.com. Sales open 7 days before your visit at 20:00 Beijing time (12:00 UTC), and in high season tickets sell out within minutes. A ticket costs ¥60 (about 35 PLN), or ¥40 (about 23 PLN) from November to March. The museum is closed on Mondays.

Can I buy tickets at the gate?

Not for the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army, the panda base or the Li River cruise – those are online only. For many other places, yes: since 2024 Beijing and Shanghai have dropped reservations for most attractions, such as the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the Shanghai Museum.

When should I buy Terracotta Army tickets?

Up to 7 days before your visit, online only and with your passport – on Trip.com, Klook or the official WeChat mini-program. There's no ticket office on site. A ticket costs ¥120 (about 70 PLN).

Do I need WeChat to buy tickets?

Not always. For the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army or the panda base, Trip.com is enough. WeChat helps for places that only sell tickets in their own mini-program, such as Tiananmen Square, the Shaanxi History Museum or the Yulong River rafts.

Do I need to book Great Wall tickets in advance?

For Mutianyu you can buy online or on site, but book ahead at weekends and during Chinese holidays. Badaling has a daily cap and tickets in your name – buy online a few days before your visit. Don't forget your passport.

What if tickets are sold out?

Check again in the evening and in the morning (people return tickets), look for a guided tour with its own ticket quota, or swap the order of days on your route. Don't buy from touts outside.

Do seniors get discounts in China?

Often, foreigners included – but each province sets its own age threshold (60, 65 or 70). For example, the Summer Palace in Beijing is free for everyone aged 60 and over on showing a passport.

Sources

• Palace Museum: ticket sales for foreign visitors and Beijing government: reservations for Tiananmen Square and the Mao Mausoleum
• SCMP: Beijing scraps reservations for most tourist sites (June 2024) and Shanghai government: Shanghai Museum without reservations
• Beijing government: the Summer Palace is free from age 60, foreigners included (2026) and Beijing government: Badaling tickets for foreigners
• Wander in China: National Museum of China and Wander in China: Suzhou Museum
• Our guides to Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guilin, Zhangjiajie and Yunnan (prices and rules checked in October 2026); photos from Wikimedia Commons (authors and licences in the captions) and our own

Tickets in our itineraries

In our itineraries, every attraction that needs a reservation comes with when tickets go on sale and where to buy them, plus the price and the address in Chinese. The pre-departure checklist (in the app too) shows which tickets are already on sale for your travel dates, so you won't miss the start. See our China itineraries.