National Day rehearsal: Avoid these areas this weekend

Photo: Wikimedia Common

Steer away from these places in the capital this weekend 

October 1st, the 70th anniversary of China’s National Day is well on the horizon. If you missed the story, a rehearsal for the military parade commemorating the occasion has been scheduled in town this weekend, causing not so moderate traffic disruption and road closures. Not your average drill this year, it's reported to be the largest Chinese military parade to date, with heavyweight weapons expected to make a public debut, including nuclear missiles, according to South China Morning Post.

So before you head out this weekend, best to make sure you're caught up on the impending inconvenience. Take a look at the list below to know where to stay out of and when to get there by. 

Tourist attractions

Though no definitive time has been announced as to when the military parade rehearsal will end, Tian’anmen Square will be a no-go zone for pedestrian and private vehicles from Saturday 6pm to Sunday 10am. Jingshan Park will be closed from 6pm to 7am on the same dates. If you already have a trip planned, make sure you get there (and leave) early.

Subway

From Line 1 to Line 5, certain stations will see shorter operating hours. Expect some stops to be closed as early as 6pm on Saturday. 

Stations that stop running from 6pm:

Tian’anmen Dong station (Line 1); Tian’anmen Xi station (Line 1); Qianmen station (Line 2)

Stations that stop running from 6.30pm:

Jianguomen station (Line 1 & 2); Dongdan station (Line 1 & 5); Wangfujing station (Line 1); Xidan station (Line 1)

Stations that stop running from 7pm:

Chongwenmen station ( Line 2)

Stations that stop running from 9.30pm:

Xidan station (Line 4); Fuxingmen station (Line 1 & 2)

Bus routes and roads

Photo: @zhangkaiyv/Unsplash.com

A total of 85 bus routes will be affected, with most buses making a detour away from the Tian’anmen Square area. Futhermore from Saturday 4pm till Sunday, traffic on Chang'an Jie in the Tian'anmen Square, Forbidden City as well as the Xidan area will be heavily disrupted, as no vehicles and pedestrians will be allowed to enter.

You might have missed

More from Time Out Beijing