Forbidden City Entry Tickets

Your experience

Explore Beijing's Forbidden City at your own pace with access to all main halls, the Treasure Gallery, and optional Clock Gallery.

Getting started

Enter the Forbidden City through Meridian Gate using your dated ticket and passport, then follow the required south-to-north route through the complex. Plan your arrival outside the 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM peak window if you prefer thinner crowds. You can use the free luggage storage between Meridian Gate and Shenwu Gate, and lockers inside the venue, which is suitable for strollers and wheelchairs.

What to expect

Forbidden City

You move through the Palace Museum from south to north, crossing a sequence of ceremonial and residential zones. Your ticket covers the core palace axis, with access to the key imperial spaces that define the Forbidden City.

Features

• Entry to all main halls lets you walk the central route through the complex, including the primary palace courtyards used for imperial ceremonies as you head toward the northern exits at Shenwu Gate or Donghua Gate.
• Open courtyards, available with the Treasure Gallery–only option, give you room to pause, view the palace architecture from different angles, and take in the overall scale of the former imperial residence.

Treasure Gallery

The Treasure Gallery occupies part of the northeast wing in the Palace of Tranquil Longevity. Climate-controlled rooms display a focused selection of objects used by emperors and empresses inside the Forbidden City.

Features

• Around 400 imperial treasures are on view, including jade carvings, enamelware, and gold and silver vessels that were part of court rituals and daily palace life.
• Gem-studded empresses' phoenix crowns and embroidered imperial robes highlight the personal regalia of the Qing court and show the materials reserved for the highest ranks.
• Entry to the Treasure Gallery is included with all ticket options, giving you dedicated time in six air-conditioned rooms within the Palace of Tranquil Longevity area.

Clock Gallery

The Clock Gallery, located near the Treasure Gallery in the same northeastern wing, focuses on timepieces collected by the Qing court. It is housed in Fengxian Hall and nearby rooms inside the Palace Museum.

Features

• A collection of 82 historic clocks is displayed here, including 21 Chinese astronomical clocks and 61 imported pieces from Britain, France, and Switzerland.
• Many timepieces feature intricate mechanical automata that write calligraphy, play instruments, or animate carved figures when activated during scheduled demonstrations.
• Entry to the Clock Gallery is included when you choose the Tickets + Treasure and Clock Galleries option, and the automata demonstrations operate at set times that you can check on arrival.

Wrapping up

Choose between the Tickets + Treasure and Clock Galleries option for the complete Palace Museum experience with Fengxian Hall, or the Tickets + Treasure Gallery option that focuses on the main halls, open courtyards, and imperial treasures in the Palace of Tranquil Longevity.

Highlights

• Explore the Forbidden City at your own pace inside the world's largest ancient wooden palace complex, with time to linger in its imperial spaces.
• On your selected date, enter via Meridian Gate by showing your passport, then follow the south to north route through this vast site.
• Your ticket covers all main halls plus the Treasure Gallery in the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, six air-conditioned rooms with 400 treasures.
• Admire jade carvings, enamelware, gold vessels, gem-studded phoenix crowns, and embroidered robes that once belonged to Qing imperial courts.
• Upgrade your ticket with Clock Gallery access to see 82 Qing-era timepieces, from Chinese astronomical clocks to European imports with automata.
• Or choose a variant that adds access to selected open courtyards, expanding your visit with outdoor palace spaces to wander and take photos.