City's Main Attractions Open up but Be Quick to Reserve

Original Joey Knotts theBeijinger

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The Forbidden City is one of the last major Beijing attractions to announce its reopening, but it too will be open for the May Day holiday, reports Beijing News. Admission will run from 8.30am to 4pm, though visitors can stay until 5pm. However, you're unlikely to even get in over the holiday, as all tickets for May 1-5 have already sold out following their release on Wednesday.

It may be worth holding off anyway, since only half of the grounds are open to the public, including the great halls of the Outer Court, the palaces of the Inner Court, the Palace of Longevity and Peace, and the Garden Palace of Compassion and Tranquility. Additionally, all indoor attractions will remain closed until a later date.

Highlighted parts of the Forbidden City will be open to the public

If you're wanting to soak up some culture, don't be too dismayed that you can't visit the Palace Museum, as the nearby National Museum and the Capital Museum in Xicheng District also plan to take in visitors starting May 1. Additionally, famous hutong Nanluoguxiang will be opening to visitors who book ahead, though only the main alleyway will be open while intersecting roads will be off-limits to visitors.

Prospective visitors should note, however, that these will be among the most controlled attractions in the city, requiring real-name registration using a valid ID as well as the Beijing Health Kit app, and a cap on the total number of daily visitors.

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Ticketing information

Forbidden City: Tickets RMB 60. Limit 5,000 visitors per day, must book at least one day in advance via the Forbidden City website. Admissions 8.30am-4pm.
National Museum: Free entry. Limited to 3,000 visitors per day. Admissions 9am-5pm.
Capital Museum: Free entry, must reserve in advance by calling 6339 3339 between 9am-5pm. Limited to 1,000 visitors per day. Admissions from 10am-3pm.
Nanluogu Xiang: Free entry, must reserve in advance (click 'Read more' at the bottom of this post for a link).
Chaoyang Park (and others): As of May 1, visitors to Chaoyang Park, Olympic Park, and several others will need to reserve at least one day in advance until further notice. To do so, follow this link and login to the 京城之约 app using your passport, fill in your details, and select the date you'd like to visit as well as morning or afternoon.