The Imperial Palace - Forbidden City

Imperial Palace complex in Beijing, containing hundreds of buildings and some 9,000 rooms. It served the emperors of China from 1421 to 1911. No commoner or foreigner was allowed to enter it without special permission. The moated palaces, with their golden tiled roofs and red pillars, are surrounded by high walls with a tower on each corner. The palaces consist of the outer throne halls and an inner courtyard, each palace forming an architectural whole. North of the front gate, a great courtyard lies beyond five marble bridges. Farther north, raised on a marble terrace, is the massive, double-tiered Hall of Supreme Harmony, once the throne hall, one of the largest wooden structures in China. The palaces and buildings are now public museums.

Palace

Hours

The Palace Museum is open daily all year round.

(There may be temporary closures which cannot always be scheduled in advance, since they are frequently caused by unforeseen circumstances. The management of the Museum would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused.)

April 1st – October 31st : 8:30 to 17:00
Last entry: 16:10
Last tickets are sold at 16:00
November 1st – March 31st : 8:30 to 16:30
Last entry: 15:40
Last tickets are sold at 15:30

Transportation, Parking, Taxi Stands

Transportation:

By Bus:
To the Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwu men), take bus No. 101, 103, 109, 111, 124, 810, 685, 814, 846, or Zhuan 1 (a suttle bus traveling between Qianmen and The Palace Museum), to "Gugong".

To the Meridian Gate(Wu men), take bus No.1, 10, 120, 126, 2, 20, 37, 4, 52, 59, 728, 802, Olympic line 2, or Te 1, to "Tian'an Men East" (Tian'an men dong).
Or take bus No. 1, 10, 22, 37, 4, 5, 52, 728, 802, or Te1, to "Tian'an men West" (Tian'an men xi).

By Subway:
Take Line 1 to Tian'an men East or "Tian'an men West" (Tian'an men xi).

Parking:

There is no parking outside the two entrance gates of the Palace Museum. The following public parking lots are located in the vicinity of the Forbidden City:

*Outside the East Prosperity Gate (Donghua men) ;
*In the back street of Jingshan Park;
*In front of the Front Gate of Beihai Park
Visitors are encouraged to visit the Museum via public transportation.

Taxi Stands:

According to the local traffic regulations, taxis are not allowed to stop at the Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwu men). Visitors exiting this gate need to walk further either east or west to hail a taxi. Taxis are not available along Chang'an Avenue, which is in front of the Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tian'an men), the southern access to the Meridian Gate.

Admission

The Museum accepts MasterCard, Visa, and PayUnion cards for ticket purchase.

April 1st – October 31st : 60 yuan
November 1st – March 31st : 40 yuan

1. For entrance to the Treasure Gallery (Zhenbao guan, where the Stone Drum Gallery is also located) and to the Hall of Clocks (Zhongbiao guan) additional 10-yuan tickets are necessary.
2. Children under 120 cm in height are free of charge.
3. Special 20 yuan tickets are available for China's elementary, middle school, and university students (including foreign students studying in Chinese universities) with valid student I.D. or certified letter from school administrator (including students from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, excluding graduate and adult education students).

Corner Tower