Rating: 5A
Opening Hours:
The Palace Museum closes on Mondays except for statutory holidays.
Peak Season:
Opening time for admission: 8:30
Last admission: 16:10
Low Season:
Opening time for admission: 8:30
Last admission: 15:30
Reserve/Purchase Tickets: The Palace Museum does not sell same-day tickets. All visitors (including those who enjoy preferential access and their companions) should purchase tickets in advance through the Palace Museum's official WeChat mini program and website.
Ticketing Information
1. Admission: April 1 - October 31 (peak season), CNY 60/person
2. Admission: November 1 - March 31 (low season), CNY 40/person
3. The Treasure Gallery:CNY 10/person
4. The Gallery of Clocks: CNY 10/person
Address: The Palace Museum 4 Jingshanqian Street, Beijing
Phone Number: 400-950-1925
Description: Established in 1925, the Palace Museum is a broadly representative museum on traditional Chinese art, based on the imperial palace of the consecutive Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, known as the Forbidden City, as well as its vast imperial art collections.
In 1961, the State Council listed the Forbidden City as one of China’s most important protected cultural heritage sites, and in 1987 it was inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO. In 2007, the Palace Museum was designated as "national 5A Tourist Attraction", and the next year, it was among the first Chinese museums to be recognized by the National Cultural Heritage Administration as "National First-level Museum".
Covering over one million square metres, the Ming and Qing heritage architectural compound under the Palace Museum’s administration consists of around 9000 bays (internal spaces defined by eave columns) of heritage structures, making it the largest and best-preserved historical palace complex in the world.
The Forbidden City, based on which the Museum was born, was completed in 1420, the eighteenth year of the Yongle reign in the Ming Dynasty. It is composed of the Outer Court and the Inner Court. The Outer Court served as the venue for grand ceremonies and rituals. Its main structures include the Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihe dian), Hall of Middle Harmony (Zhonghe dian), and Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohe dian)—the three majestic halls dominating the centre; as well as the Hall of Literary Brilliance (Wenhua dian) and Hall of Martial Valour (Wuying dian), which flank the central axis.
The Inner Court was the residence of the Emperor and his family, and was used for day-to-day affairs of state. Here, imitating the layout of the three grand halls mentioned above are the Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qianging gong), Hall of Union (Jiaotai dian), and Palace of Earthly Tranquillity (Kunning gong). Situated on their either side are six walled palace compounds serving as residences for the Emperor’s consorts, known as the Six Eastern Palaces and the Six Western Palaces. Beyond these, there is a palace compound for the retired emperor to the east, and another for the empress dowager to the west, among other structures and courtyards.
Following its completion, the Forbidden City served as residence for a total of 24 Ming and Qing emperors. After the last Emperor of the Qing Dynasty Puyi abdicated in 1912, the Forbidden City's role as the seat of imperial rule came to an end.
In 1914, the National Museum of Art (Guwu Chenliesuo) was established in the Outer Court and opened to the public. In 1925, the Inner Court was converted into the Palace Museum. In 1948, both institutions were merged into one, retaining the name 'Palace Museum'.
Today, the Palace Museum possesses an all-encompassing collection numbering over 1.86 million pieces (sets) in 25 major categories, an authentic artistic treasure trove.
It showcases the age-old and splendid Chinese civilization to the public through the imperial palace architecture, the display of original interior settings, dedicated galleries including decorative arts, timepieces, paintings, calligraphy, ceramics, and sculptures, as well as special exhibitions.