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Facade of the National Museum of China photographed from the direction of Tiananmen Square in 2014; not representative of current exhibitions

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National Museum of China

中国国家博物馆 · East side of Tiananmen Square, Dongcheng District, Beijing, China

Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0

On the east side of Tiananmen Square, pick one thread through the Chinese history and art exhibitions rather than trying to see every gallery in one day.

Know before you go

  • Do not use unofficial ticket channels in place of the museum's free reservation
  • do not assume that temporary exhibitions or the locations of artifacts are fixed
  • do not take photos in no-photography areas or block the visitor route to get a shot.

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

The National Museum of China's displays cover history and art. The museum lists "Ancient China", "The Road to Rejuvenation" and others as its permanent exhibitions, and stages thematic and temporary exhibitions from time to time. It stands on the east side of Tiananmen Square and fits well into a Beijing Central Axis itinerary in separate time slots; the museum and the square are two separate visitor sites, and their security checks and reservation rules apply separately. There are many permanent and temporary exhibitions, so choose your themes from the museum's exhibition list before you go, rather than assuming a particular relic or temporary show can be seen every day.

Local customs

  • The museum requires security checks and civil behavior
  • please speak quietly in the galleries and leave room for other visitors to view the exhibits and labels. Do not take photos in areas marked no photography, and do not use flash, tripods or selfie sticks without permission
  • do not touch the relics or cross the barriers.

Religion & beliefs

  • The museum may display Buddhist and other religious relics, but it is a public museum, not a place of worship
  • view religious relics according to heritage protection and gallery rules.

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Essential restrictionsEntryBeijing

Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, Beijing: real-name reservation; bags, cameras and cups must be checked in first

Do

  • Make a real-name reservation 1–6 days in advance via the memorial hall's official WeChat account, booking mini-program or the People's Daily Online special webpage
  • Arrive at your reserved time and present valid ID (passport for foreign visitors)
  • Before entering, leave bags, cameras, video cameras, water bottles, drinks and all liquids at the bag check on the east side of the square
  • Before entering the hall, turn off your phone or set it to silent, dress neatly and appropriately, and keep quiet and follow the line while paying respects

Don’t

  • Do not queue with a bag or camera; you will be stopped at security
  • Do not talk loudly, laugh and fool around, or loiter in the building
  • Do not smoke, spit or spit out chewing gum, and do not climb over railings

The Memorial Hall's visiting rules require real-name reservations and ID checks; bags, cameras, water bottles, liquids and other restricted items are strictly forbidden and must be checked in first; opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday 8:00–12:00, with holiday arrangements announced separately, and it may also close temporarily due to square controls.

Not yet verifiedSource: CPC News (People's Daily Online): Visitor Guidelines for the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: At Qingming tomb-sweeping, no burning paper or open flames in wooded areas

Do

  • Check whether the cemetery requires a reservation before you go
  • Stay quiet while laying flowers, bowing and observing silence
  • Consider flowers, tree planting or online memorials instead of burning paper
  • Dress soberly for tomb-sweeping
  • Take offering wrappers and rubbish with you when you leave

Don’t

  • Don't burn paper, incense or candles, or set off firecrackers, in woods or grassland
  • Don't talk loudly or joke around in the cemetery
  • Don't block cemetery paths for long to take photos

During fire-prevention periods, burning paper, incense and candles is strictly banned in forest and grassland fire zones, and anyone who starts a wildfire may be held legally liable. Whether and where a cemetery allows burning is set by its own rules on site.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Xinhua: Two departments deploy safety measures for the Qingming holiday

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Go through security before the metro, and park shared bikes in marked zones

Do

  • Cooperate with the security check at the entrance and put bags through the scanner
  • On the platform, wait beside the doors and let passengers off first
  • Register with your real name in the app before riding a shared bike
  • Park in a marked bay or an app-designated spot, and make sure the lock clicks shut
  • If the brakes or lock don't work, switch bikes and report it in the app

Don’t

  • Don't linger in the doorway or force your way through closing doors
  • Don't leave bikes in traffic lanes, fire lanes or on tactile paving
  • Don't let children under 12 ride shared bikes

If you refuse the security check you will not be let into the station. Badly parked bikes are removed, and riders may face action under local rules and the operator's terms.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: People's Daily Online: Beijing issues standards for shared bike technology, services, parking

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: No smoking anywhere on high-speed trains, and no phone calls in quiet carriages

Do

  • Sit in the carriage and seat shown on your ticket
  • Put large luggage in the racks at the carriage ends or overhead
  • Use headphones for videos and music
  • In a quiet carriage, step outside to make or take calls
  • Before getting off, check around your seat and take your rubbish and belongings

Don’t

  • Don't smoke anywhere on the train, including toilets and vestibules
  • Don't take someone else's seat
  • Don't choose a quiet carriage when travelling with babies or toddlers (12306 advises against it)

Smoking on a bullet train can set off smoke alarms and slow or even stop the train. Smokers are fined by the police and, according to reports, may also be barred from buying bullet-train tickets; official rules prevail. If someone breaks the quiet-carriage rules, tell the train staff.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Travel China Guide: Smoking on Chinese trains

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Stay on open sections of the Great Wall and never carve the bricks

Do

  • Walk only on open sections and marked routes
  • On steep stretches, stop and steady yourself before taking photos, and watch your step
  • Wear non-slip shoes, carry enough water, and turn back if you are tired
  • Carry your rubbish down or put it in a bin
  • Check opening arrangements before you go; official announcements prevail

Don’t

  • Don't carve, write on or prise loose the bricks
  • Don't climb over fences or onto closed, crumbling walls and watchtowers
  • Don't run or push on steep sections

Carving the Great Wall counts as damaging a cultural relic: one visitor who carved his name at Badaling was given administrative detention and a fine by the police and was blacklisted by the scenic area. Closed sections are not maintained and can be dangerous.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China News Service: Man detained for five days and fined 200 yuan for carving on the Badaling Great Wall

Essential restrictionsEntryBeijing

Beijing, Palace Museum: book in advance under your real name; enter at the Meridian Gate, leave by the north

Do

  • Book under your real name via the official Palace Museum WeChat mini program or ticket website
  • Enter every visitor's ID details in advance and book early for peak dates
  • Arrive within your slot; when morning and afternoon slots apply, check in for the one you chose
  • Bring the original ID used for booking; foreign visitors use their passport
  • Enter at the Meridian Gate, walk north, and exit by the Gate of Divine Prowess or East Flower Gate

Don’t

  • Don't buy tickets or ticket-grabbing services from third parties
  • Don't assume free tickets need no booking
  • Don't go on Monday: the museum is closed except on public holidays

Without a booking, or if you, your ID and your booking don't match, you may be refused entry. Time slots, release times, prices and no-show rules are subject to the Palace Museum's official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Official site: Palace Museum visitor information

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: book popular sights in advance, under your real name, through official channels

Do

  • Check the booking rules on the site's official website, mini program or account before you go
  • Enter every companion's ID details in advance and pick an entry time slot
  • Children, seniors and others with free or reduced tickets also book as required and show ID
  • Book early for holidays and summer; popular dates often fill quickly

Don’t

  • Don't trust third parties offering to grab tickets or sell 'insider' tickets
  • Don't assume a free ticket means no booking is needed
  • Don't count on buying tickets at the gate on peak days

Once a popular date is fully booked, you may be turned away. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires sites to keep in-person ticket windows and to accommodate seniors and others, but on-site quotas are limited; booking windows, release times and visitor caps are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires all scenic areas to keep ticket windows

Essential restrictionsEntryCountry-wide guidance · China

China: set up mobile payment before you go; hotels and tickets are booked under your passport

Do

  • Link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure
  • Carry some cash in yuan for small stalls, remote areas or payment glitches
  • Expect real-name checks at hotels, for train tickets and popular sights; use your passport
  • Make sure the name and number on bookings match your passport exactly
  • If a station gate cannot read your passport, use the staffed lane

Don’t

  • Don't wait until you arrive to set up payment; verification can take time
  • Don't assume cash alone or a bank card alone will work everywhere
  • Don't book with details that differ from your passport

Without a working payment method, or with mismatched ID details, you may be unable to check in, buy tickets or enter sights. Payment limits, fees and platform rules are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Gov.cn: Payment services for foreign visitors to China

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Queue, don't smoke where banned, and never carve on heritage sites

Do

  • Wait your turn in line, and follow staff directions when it's crowded
  • On buses and the metro, let passengers off first and offer seats to those in need
  • Book popular sights and museums in advance, under your real name, through official channels
  • Sort your rubbish into the right bins
  • Use serving chopsticks and spoons, and order only what you can eat

Don’t

  • Don't cut in line or walk side by side blocking the way
  • Don't smoke where it is banned; many cities ban smoking in indoor public places and on public transport
  • Don't carve or write on historic buildings or ancient trees, or climb on or touch relics
  • Don't use flash or tripods in exhibition halls
  • Don't talk loudly or play music out loud in public places

Staff will stop you from queue-jumping, smoking where banned or marking relics, and smoking in no-smoking areas or damaging relics can also lead to fines under the law. Fine amounts, booking methods and opening hours are as officially announced.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Palace Museum official site: Visit

Cultural sensitivitiesPhotos & dronesBeijing

Beijing hutongs: these are homes; stay out of private courtyards and ask before photographing people

Do

  • Remember hutongs are residential first, and keep your voice down
  • Ask before photographing residents or courtyard life, and leave if asked
  • Keep to the side in narrow lanes and make way for bikes, e-bikes and pedestrians
  • Put rubbish in public bins
  • In a group, keep numbers and noise down, especially at night

Don’t

  • Don't walk into a private courtyard, even if the gate is open
  • Don't treat residents as a spectacle
  • Don't walk several abreast and block a narrow lane

Entering private homes or being noisy disturbs residents, who may ask you to leave. Beijing has proposed hutong tourism rules requiring tours not to disturb local life.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Rules proposed for hutong tourism

Don’t DON'T

  • Do not use unofficial ticket channels in place of the museum's free reservation
  • do not assume that temporary exhibitions or the locations of artifacts are fixed
  • do not take photos in no-photography areas or block the visitor route to get a shot.

Locals appreciate DO

  • After booking, choose one or two exhibition themes that interest you
  • use the official guides to understand the historical background
  • budget time for the museum and for walking around the outdoor square separately.

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • The museum's service page gives its address as 16 East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng District. If you only want to see one or two key exhibitions, allow at least 2 to 3 hours
  • to see the permanent exhibitions systematically, allow half a day or more. Reservations must be made through official channels, and you enter with the ID used for booking during the corresponding time slot
  • the system may change. Tiananmen Square, the Palace Museum and the National Museum each have their own entrances and reservation requirements, and one reservation does not cover another. Transport and security checks nearby may be affected by major events, so check the museum's announcements and official transport information before you go.
Sources & verification notes

National Museum of China: About the Museum and Permanent Exhibitions

National Museum of China: Services, Address and Reservations

National Museum of China: 2026 Visitor Guide

National Museum of China: Code of Conduct for Visitors

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