Even More Road Closures This Weekend

From: Joey K. theBeijinger 2019-10-30

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Drivers and bikers alike, take heed: if you're planning on using your car or electric scooter in Beijing this weekend, prepare for some serious detours. Just like last weekend, in preparation for the 70th Anniversary of the People's Republic of China, pretty much every major road in the center of the city and extending east to Chaoyang Park (the area roughly outlined in the image above) will be closed down to vehicles this weekend as well, in order to allow for parade drills.

Though we're unable to find specific details, we'd assume that Tiananmen Square will again be off-limits to the public Sep 21 and 22 (as it was last weekend), while the Forbidden City is completely closed until Oct 1.

Road closures and restrictions

Red means no-go from Saturday evening until drills complete on Sunday. Click for a larger version.

Beginning Saturday, Sep 21 (today), parking will be prohibited on most major roads north of Qianmen Donglu 前门东路 and south of Dongsixi Dajie 东四西大街 within the East and West Second Ring Road, as well as on Workers' Stadium East Road 工体东路, Jianguomenwai Dajie 建国门外大街, and the roads that run from the Agricultural Exhibition Center 农业展览馆 to Pinganlixi Dajie 平安里西大街 (including Workers' Stadium North 工体北门, Dongsishitiao 东四十条, and Di'anmendong Dajie 地安门东大街).

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By 5pm on Saturday, most major roads north of Qianmen Donglu and south of Dongsixi Dajie within the East and West Second Ring Road will be closed, as will Workers' Stadium East Road. Most closures will run until the evening of Sep 22, but some closures in the Qianmen area will be in effect until Monday, Sep 23.

Subway Closures

The drills will also affect subway stops along Lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 14:

Circled stations will be closed at some point this weekend (See below for times, click for larger image)

Saturday, Sep 21

Dawanglu 大望路 (Line 14) closed to Line 1 transfers from 12.30pm on Sep 21 until noon on Sep 22
Tian'anmen West 天安门西, Tian'anmen East 天安门东 (Line 1); Qianmen 前门 (Lines1/2) closed from 4pm
Guomao 国贸, Fuxingmen 复兴门 (Line 1); Changchunjie 长椿街, Hepingmen 和平门, Jianguomen 建国门, Fuxingmen 复兴门, Xuanwumen 宣武门 (Line 2); Xidan 西单, Xuanwumen 宣武门 (Line 4); Dongdan 东单 (Line 5) closed from 5pm
Chongwenmen 崇文门 (Line 2/5) closed from 6pm
Yuanmingyuan 圆明园, East Gate of Peking University 北大东门, Renmin University 人民大学 (Line 4) closed from 5.30pm until 10pm
Yonghegong 雍和宫 (Line 2/5); Dengshikou 灯市口 (Line 5) closed from 7pm until 10.30pm
Puhuangyu 蒲黄榆 (Line 5); Beigongda Ximen 北工大西门 (Line 14) closed from 6pm until 10pm
Babaoshan 八宝山 (Line 1) Tiantongyuan Bei 天通苑北, Huxinxijie Beikou 惠新西街北口, Songjiazhuang 宋家庄 (Line 5) closed from 6.30pm until 10.30pm
Haojiafu 郝家府 (Line 6) closed from 8pm to 10pm
Sihuidong 四惠东 (Line 1); Dongsi 东四 (Line 5/6) closed from 8.30pm until 10.30pm
Wukesong 五棵松 (Line 5) closed from 8.30pm until 10.30pm
Jishutan 吉水谈 (Line 2) closed from 9pm until 10.30pm
Sihui 四惠 (Line 1) closed 9pm until 10.30pm

Sunday, Sep 22

Babaoshan 八宝山 (Line 1) closed from 2pm until 7.30pm
Fuxingmen 复兴门 (Line1/2) closed from 2.30pm
Hepingmen 和平门 (Line 2) closed from 3pm
Tian'anmen West 天安门西, Tian'anmen East 天安门东 (Line 1); Qianmen 前门 (Lines1/2) closed from 4pm
Huixinxijie Beikou 惠新西街北口 (Line 5) closed from 4.30pm until 7.30pm
All stops from Fuxingmen 复兴门 to Jianguomen 建国门 (Line 1), Changchunjie 长椿街, Xuanwumen 宣武门, Chongwenmen 崇文门, Jianguomen 建国门 (Line 2); Xaishikou 菜市口, Xuanwumen 宣武门, Xidan 西单, Lingjing Hutong 灵境胡同 (Line 4); Dongdan 东单, Chongwenmen 崇文门 (Line 5); Caishikou 菜市口, Hufangqiao 虎坊桥, Zhushikou 珠市口 (Line 7) closed from 5pm
Songjiazhuang 宋家庄 (Line 5); Haojiafu 郝家府 (Line 6) closed from 6pm until 8pm
Wukesong 五棵松 (Line 1) closed from 6.40pm until 8.30pm
Dongsi 东四 (Line 5/6) closed from 7pm until 9pm

TL;DR?

If all of this seems a bit confusing, here are the bullet points:

Try to spend your weekend outside of the area marked in yellow in the image above. As a motivator, the government has waived toll fees Oct 1-7.
After the weekend, expect it to be increasingly difficult to circulate in the center of the city, regardless of your mode of transport, until the anniversary has passed. The image up top was actually first circulated back in 2015 during the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and if that year was anything to go by, the city is going to be locked down, tight.
At weekends especially, forget that Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City even exist. Just imagine a big, tall, impenetrable wall around the area (like in the olden days!) and don't try to approach it until after the anniversary.
Park your car and dust off the bicycle for the next few weeks.
Consider leaving Beijing completely and coming back after Golden Week.