Short answer
Most major Chinese attractions — the Forbidden City, the main Great Wall sections, big museums and national parks — now run on real-name, timed-entry reservation. You book online in advance using your passport details, and you show that same passport at the gate.
Turning up and buying a ticket on the day usually does not work, and in peak season it definitely does not. Assume anything you actually want to see needs a booking.
Bookings normally happen in a WeChat mini-program or on an official English website. Set up WeChat, a payment method and your passport details before you fly — this single step prevents most of the problems people hit on arrival.
What "real-name reservation" actually means
The ticket is issued to one person's passport number. Not a group voucher, not a QR code anyone can use. Your name must match the passport you are carrying that day, and staff scan the passport at the gate to confirm the booking exists.
Tickets are not transferable. That is the whole point of the system: it kills the resale market, and with it the scalpers who used to work the entrances. The side effect for visitors is simple — no booking, no entry, and no amount of charm at the gate changes it.
The mechanism behind it is crowd control. Sites cap visitors per time slot, which is why you pick not just a date but often a specific hour to go through the gate. Your slot is when you enter, not when you have to leave.
Which attractions use it
Assume everything you have heard of does. In practice:
- The Palace Museum (Forbidden City), real-name timed entry, passport required, sells out fast.
- Great Wall sections, Badaling, Mutianyu and Jinshanling all use advance booking with passport details.
- Major museums, including the big national and provincial museums, which are often free but still issue timed slots you must reserve.
- National parks and scenic areas, mountain and lake parks typically use timed entry, and the internal shuttle bus usually needs its own booking on top.
- Tiananmen Square, its own separate reservation, checked before you enter the square, entirely separate from the palace booking.
Some temples, city parks and lesser-known sites still sell tickets at a gate, treat that as a bonus, not a plan.
The booking channels, compared
| Channel | What it is good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| WeChat mini-program | The most common official channel; often the only one a site offers | Chinese-first interface, and you need a verified WeChat account plus a payment method |
| Official website | English booking where it exists (the Palace Museum has one) | Not every attraction runs one; some sites are Chinese-only |
| International booking platforms | English interface and card payment when the official channel is Chinese-only | You still enter passport details, and the ticket is still issued in your name |
| On-site ticket office | Pickup for existing bookings, and small sites without a reservation system | Do not count on a same-day ticket at a popular attraction |
The cheapest and most reliable route is always the official channel. A platform is worth paying for when it saves you an evening of fighting a Chinese-only mini-program, not because it has access you lack.
What to prepare before you fly
- Your passport details, copied exactly. Use the Latin-script line, including middle names. Typos here are the single most common reason a valid booking is refused.
- A verified WeChat account. Set it up at home, new accounts created from outside China sometimes need an existing user to confirm them, and verification is not instant.
- A working payment method. Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card bound, or a card the official website accepts. See how to set up payments.
- A phone that receives SMS. A foreign number is normally fine, as long as it works while you are in China.
- A translation tool. Mini-programs are usually Chinese-only, and machine translation on menus and forms saves real time.
- A way to store screenshots offline. Save booking QR codes and reference numbers where they open without data.
The general booking flow
- Find the official channel, not a lookalikeSearch inside WeChat for the attraction's official account and look for the verification mark, or use the official website. Imitation pages collect passport data, check before you type anything.
- Create your accountSome channels accept a foreign phone number, some ask for an email address, some want both. Do this well before the date you need.
- Enter every traveller's passport details separatelyYou can usually add several people to one order, but each ticket is issued to an individual passport. There is no "two adults" shortcut, you need the numbers.
- Choose your date and time slotTimed entry means your slot is when you pass the gate. Pick a slot you can realistically reach, allowing for traffic and security queues.
- Pay and keep the confirmationScreenshot the QR code and the reference number, and note which channel you booked on, you may need to reopen the same mini-program at the gate.
- Re-check the day beforeHoliday opening hours, rest days and entry gates change. One minute of checking avoids a wasted trip across the city.
- Carry the passport you booked withThe physical passport, not a copy or a phone photo. This is the document that gets you in.
Timing: how far ahead, and how to find out
There is no single national rule. Each attraction sets its own booking window and its own release time, and both change between seasons. Anything you read quoting one number of days is describing one site at one time of year.
The reliable method takes two minutes: open the official channel, find the booking page for your target date, and read the release rule there. Then set a reminder for the release moment and be logged in with your details saved before it happens.
What is predictable is demand. These dates go almost instantly:
- Lunar New Year week, and the surrounding travel period.
- The first week of October, around National Day.
- The first days of May.
- Summer weekends, and any sunny weekend in spring or autumn.
Midweek, off-season slots are usually easy. If your itinerary is flexible, build it around the hardest booking, usually the Palace Museum, or a specific national park, instead of locking the easy days first.
When you cannot get a slot
- Check back for cancellations. Returned slots go straight back into the pool and are usually taken within minutes. Check in the morning and again in the evening for a couple of days.
- Use an international platform that holds its own allocations, the English interface is worth the fee when you are stuck.
- Book a licensed guide or small-group tour that includes entry. The ticket is still issued in your passport name, so bring the passport.
- Swap the day, not the trip. A sold-out Saturday is often open on Tuesday.
- Take the alternative. For Beijing: Jingshan Park for the view over the Forbidden City roofs, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the hutongs. All easier to book than the headline sights.
- Ask your hotel front desk for help. Staff can navigate a Chinese-only mini-program in a way you cannot, but the booking must be in your passport name, and you pay.
Mistakes that cost people the visit
| Mistake | What happens |
|---|---|
| Name spelled differently from the passport | Refused at the gate. The passport is matched against the booking |
| Booking "2 adults" without passport numbers | Incomplete booking — no entry for anyone |
| Relying on a screenshot with a dead phone | Most sites can look the booking up from the passport, but keep the reference and a charged power bank |
| Arriving well outside your time slot | You may be refused or made to wait until capacity allows |
| Assuming a museum is open every day | Many close one weekday, usually Monday. Confirm before building the day around it |
| Turning up with cash for a headline attraction | The ticket window may not sell same-day tickets at all |
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need to book attractions in advance in China?
For anything major, yes. The Forbidden City, the main Great Wall sections, big museums and national parks all use real-name advance booking, and on-site sales are limited or unavailable on peak days.
Can I book with a foreign passport?
Yes. All the major official channels accept foreign passports; that is the standard route for visitors. You need your passport number and name exactly as printed, plus a working payment method.
Do I need a Chinese phone number?
No. A foreign number that can receive SMS normally works for account verification. What matters is that verification messages actually reach you while you are in China.
What if I cannot read Chinese?
Use an official English booking page where the attraction offers one, an international booking platform, or a translation app pointed at the screen. A hotel front desk can also complete a Chinese-only booking for you, as long as the ticket is issued in your passport name.
How far in advance should I book?
It varies by attraction and season, each site publishes its own booking window and release time. Find that rule on the official channel for your target date and book at the release moment rather than guessing a number of days.
Are free attractions also reservation-only?
Often, yes. Free museums, memorial halls and squares frequently still require a timed reservation, because the cap is about crowd numbers, not ticket revenue. Do not assume "free" means "walk in".
Can someone else book for me?
Yes, a hotel, a friend, a tour operator or a booking platform can complete the transaction. The non-negotiable part is that the ticket is issued in your passport name and you carry that passport on the day.
Related reading
Booking channels, release schedules and rest days change by season and by attraction. The system described here was checked against official booking-channel information as of September 2026, confirm the current rules for your specific date before you travel.