New Daily Limit of 80,000 Visitors and Online Ticketing

Online Booking: Individual Visitors

1. Individual visitors are encouraged to book admission tickets online in advance of their intended day of visit. Individual visitors are required to register on the Museum’s official online booking site () with an “individual user” account before signing in and providing the information necessary for the online booking. Required information includes number of visitors (one user account can purchase up to five tickets), date of intended visit, and the ID or passport information of every visitor. On the day of the intended visit, any of the IDs or passports registered may be used to redeem the reserved tickets at the ticketing window. Nevertheless, all visitors in the group must bring their valid ID cards (2nd generation) or passports in case of random checks.

1) Individual visitors from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and foreign countries may use their passports when filling out the online registration form. If the group consists of both mainland Chinese citizens and international visitors, the mainland Chinese citizens’ ID cards will be required for presentation to museum staff upon redeeming tickets and entrance.

2) Groups of individual visitors solely comprised of international visitors or those from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan may use their passport numbers in place of the ID card number when booking online. After online payment is completed, the system will generate a reservation number. On the day of the intended visit, this reservation number is required for presentation with the visitors’ original passports to the museum staff at the ticketing window. Prior to entrance, international individual visitors will be required to exchange this reservation number for tickets bearing a QR code. This exchange may be completed at the designated window in the quadrangle between the Gate of Correct Deportment (Duan men, which is north of the Tian’anmen gate) and the Meridian Gate (Wu men, the Museum entrance). All visitors must bring their IDs or passport for possible random checks.

2.The online booking system allows individual visitors to purchase admission tickets 10 days in advance. Tickets will not be sold after 21:00 the day before the intended visit. Certain information may be changed before this deadline, including number of visitors and date of intended visit. The actual number of visitors in the group may be fewer than but not more than the number registered during online booking. On the day of the intended visit, before the scheduled end of ticket sales for the day, the booking can be cancelled.

3.Although the Museum encourages all visitors to purchase tickets online in advance, tickets for purchase-upon-arrival are still available. Visitors purchasing tickets upon arrival are also required to present their valid IDs or passports. Mainland Chinese visitors who are not able to present valid 2nd generation ID cards are required to present IDs issued by the local Public Security Bureau for registration before purchasing tickets.

4. Individual visitors are entitled to a receipt after completing online booking. Receipts will be available for pickup at a designated office in the quadrangle between the Gate of Correct Deportment (Duan men, which is north of the Tian’anmen gate) and the Meridian Gate (Wu men, the Museum entrance) within thirty days from the date of intended visit.

Online Booking: Travel Agencies and Tour Groups

1.A travel agency is required to register at the official pre-paid online ticketing site (http://gugong.228.com.cn) as a “travel agency user” before booking admission tickets. During registration, the agency is required to upload scanned copies or digital images of their business license and business-qualification certificate. After the online booking system has approved the registration application, additional information must be provided in the “travel agency” category. Required information includes the date of visit, number of visitors, and the ID or passport of every visitor. Before completing online payment, the tour guide’s ID is required as proof of booking.

2.The online booking system allows travel agencies to buy admission tickets 10 days in advance. Tickets will not be sold after 21:00 the day before the intended visit. Certain information may be changed before this deadline, including number of visitors, date of intended visit, and the designated tour guide. The actual number of visitors in the group may be fewer than but not more than the number registered during online booking. On the day of the intended visit, before the scheduled end of ticket sales for the day, the booking may be cancelled and the date of intended visit and the tour guide may be changed.

3.One tour guide for each travel-agency led group who completes the online booking procedure will enjoy free admission. (Limit one tour guide per group.) 4.After completing online booking, on the day of the visit, the tour guide leading the group must present original copies of both the tour guide license and a valid ID card (2nd generation) to museum staff at the entrance. Every group member must bring valid ID cards or passports in case of random checks. A special tour-group entrance will be reserved for ensuring expedited group entry.

5.Tour groups that fail to book admission tickets online will be treated as a group of individual visitors and will be required to purchase tickets at the ticket office outside the Museum entrance. Individual visitors may purchase no more than five tickets at a time. Furthermore, the tour guide will not enjoy free admission, and the entire group will not be granted expedited entry.

6.The travel agency is entitled to a receipt when completing online booking. Receipts will be available for pickup at a designated office in the quadrangle between the Gate of Correct Deportment (Duan men, which is north of the Tian’anmen gate) and the Meridian Gate (Wu men, the museum entrance) within thirty days from the date of intended visit.

Please accept our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience this may cause! We appreciate your understanding of these efforts to preserve this World Heritage Site and to guarantee a better visiting experience. Thank you for your cooperation!