Book the venue.
Not a generic ticket.
China has no single attraction-booking rule. Use this six-step system to find the official channel, bind the correct passport and arrive at the gate with a booking that can be verified.
Does this exact venue require a reservation for an individual foreign visitor on this date?
Compare official examples →The venue’s live notice controls the visit.
Reservation windows, closure days, ticket types, accepted identity documents, entry gates and refund terms can change independently. Search the exact venue and branch; then confirm the current official page before entering personal or payment details.
Start at the venue’s own website or verified government visitor page.
Follow its named ticketing website, official account or mini program.
Read the live purchase notice before payment. Do not infer authorization from a logo or search ranking.
Six checks from search to gate
- 01地点
Match the exact place
Confirm the English and Chinese venue name, city, branch and any separately ticketed exhibition or area.
- 02规则
Read today’s official rule
Identify whether booking is required, optional or not required for an individual visitor—and whether the venue is open that day.
- 03护照
Select passport as the document
Use the traveler’s current passport. Enter the full name, passport number, nationality and other required fields exactly as instructed.
- 04时段
Choose the actual visit slot
Check date, time period, ticket type and visitor count before paying. A ticket may be valid only for that venue and slot.
- 05订单
Check the result, not just the charge
Confirm an official order or e-ticket exists. Save its venue, date, time, visitor and order details offline.
- 06入园
Carry the original passport
Bring the same original passport used to book. Allow time for security and go to the specified entrance or staffed route.
Save the release rule, not a universal reminder
20:00, seven days before the visit
The Palace Museum’s current international ticket instructions state that tickets can be booked from 20:00 seven days before the visit, require the original booked passport at Meridian Gate, do not sell same-day tickets and normally close on Mondays except statutory holidays.
Open the current official ticket instructions →- 1Record the exact venue, date and release timezone.
- 2Prepare every traveler’s accepted document before the window opens.
- 3Recheck the live notice on booking day; do not reuse another venue’s window.
- 4Confirm an order exists, then save it offline with the entrance.
Why only one timed example: a national table of copied release times would become dangerous as venues change systems. We publish a precise time only when the venue itself currently states it, and keep the reusable method separate.
One country, three different entry models
Palace Museum
故宫博物院
Its official rules require real-name advance booking, accept passports for non-mainland visitors and require the original booked document at the Meridian Gate. It states that it does not authorize third parties for admission-ticket or exhibition reservations.
- No same-day admission tickets under the current notice
- Use the official Palace Museum route
- Original booked passport at the specified entrance
Terracotta Army
秦始皇帝陵博物院
The museum’s official English ticket page says all visitors, including foreign visitors, must reserve and pre-purchase through its named official channels. Entry is real-name checked against the original passport.
- Official website or named official WeChat accounts
- Time-slot entry under the current rules
- Person, ticket and identity document must match
Shanghai Museum East
上海博物馆东馆
The city’s official guide says individual visitors currently do not need a reservation. They can enter through the named gate with a valid identity document such as a passport and complete security screening.
- Do not create a booking step that the venue does not require
- Branch matters: check the East venue specifically
- Group rules are different from individual entry
Why these are examples, not a directory: they prove that the rule changes by venue. Re-check the linked official source for your date instead of copying a release time, closure day or entry procedure to a different attraction.
Make the booking easy to recover
Network access, app login and automated passport reading can fail at the worst moment. Carry enough information for a staff member to locate the order without asking you to buy again.
Venue name and address in Chinese, booking confirmation, order number, date and time, visitor names and official support details.
The original passport used for booking, plus any original document required for a discount ticket.
If the automated gate cannot read the passport, use the staffed ticket-check or visitor-service route and show the official order.
My passport is not being recognized at the gate.
这是我的官方订单和护照原件。Here are my official order and original passport.
请帮我查询订单。Please help me look up the booking.
A charge is not the same as a confirmed ticket
Read the live terms
Check total price, ticket type, refund route and whether the payment method shown is supported for this transaction.
Keep an independent backup
Mobile payment, an eligible card and RMB cash can all be useful in China, but a particular online channel may offer only some of them.
Verify the order
Look for the order in the official channel. If money appears to move but no ticket exists, stop and investigate before paying again.
Attraction booking FAQ
Do all attractions in China require advance booking?
No. Rules belong to the exact venue and can differ by branch, exhibition, date and visitor type. Some popular venues require real-name advance booking, while others admit individual visitors with a passport and security check. Check the venue’s current official notice before paying.
Can a foreign visitor book with a passport?
Many major venues support passports, but the accepted document and booking channel are venue-specific. Enter the traveler’s name and passport number exactly as shown and carry the same original passport to the entrance.
Is a screenshot enough to enter?
Do not rely on a screenshot alone. Keep the booking record available offline, but also carry the original identity document used for the booking. Some venues check a QR code, some the passport, and some both.
What if the foreign passport does not scan at the gate?
Do not buy a second ticket immediately. Move to the staffed service or ticket-check route, show the official order and original passport, and ask staff to locate the booking. Use the venue’s official support channel if the order cannot be found.
Rules checked for this guide
Reviewed 26 August 2026. Venue notices change; each linked official page controls its own attraction. China Travel OS is independent and does not sell or broker attraction tickets.
- Palace Museum — official booking noticeReal-name booking, accepted foreign identity documents, official-channel warning, original-document and entrance rules.
- Palace Museum — international visitor pageForeign-passport booking and no same-day ticket boundary.
- Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum — official ticketing pageForeign-visitor advance purchase, official channels, time slots, original-passport inspection and refund ownership.
- Shanghai Government — Shanghai Museum East visitor guideNo reservation for individual visitors, passport entry, branch gate and security route; updated by the source in November 2025.
- Beijing Government — foreign visitors purchasing municipal park ticketsOfficial English ticketing route, passport support, e-ticket check and original document at entry.
- State Council — payment service guide for overseas visitorsMobile payment, cards, cash and staffed ticketing direction at major attractions.