For those traveling to China for the first time, getting along with the local apps and booking pages can be a bit challenging. Downloading the programs, and especially WeChat/Weixin, will make your life easier. With the app, you can pay your daily bills, communicate with friends, and reserve tickets for China's big heritage sites.

What is Weixin/WeChat?

In China, almost every Western app has a local equivalent. For WhatsApp, the alternative is Weixin/WeChat, which is the most widely used messaging app in the country and beyond.

However, it's more than just a communication app. Over the years, a payment function was added, which—along with AliPay—has almost completely replaced cash. Whether at metro station, shops, train station, or even when giving money to beggars, you'll mostly use WeChat.

Visiting the China's Heritage Sites Using WeChat

A good example of using WeChat is visiting the Forbidden City in Beijing. Especially, during peak season, it is necessary to reserve your ticket in advance. For many of the major attractions in the capital, you have to scan your passport and select a visit day.

Usually, as in the case of Tiananmen Square, you will spot a QR code near the gate and be forwarded to the reservation site. Here, you upload a picture of your ID and visa, choose a time, and then show up the next day.

For the Forbidden City, at least for us, things were a bit trickier. It is highly recommended to book the tickets AT LEAST SEVEN DAYS IN ADVANCE. When using the official website, things got quite messy: Despite selecting English, half of the page continuously turned into French, and all days were already sold out. WeChat became a real lifesaver.

(Always in French and nothing available: Je ne sais pas pourquoi)

Booking a Ticket for the Forbidden City in Beijing Using WeChat

After a bit of online research, we finally found the so-called mini-program of the Palace Museum on WeChat. You can simply copy and paste the characters of 故宫 (Forbidden City), which will lead you to a selection of different channels. Here, you have to choose 故宫博物院 and carefully check if the logo of the page is correct.

(Palace Museum Channel on WeChat)

Then you get some options, all in Chinese, which you can translate with Google Lens or figure out by trial and error. The button for the mini-program leads you to the booking page, where you can easily choose the date and the number of people, and complete your payment.

(Choose the second option in services first and then select the red ticket button)

Having your credit card connected to WeChat makes it fairly easy to send money. You won't receive a proper confirmation after that; entering your passport number is completely sufficient. The standard ticket price is 60 RMB during peak season, 40 RMB in winter (2025).

Despite the chosen time slot, you don't necessarily have to be there on time—but it is advisable. You simply pass the first checkpoint, then go to the long queues at the main gate and have your passport scanned in. Once the machine recognizes your passport number, it will let you through.

I quite often had the problem that the scanner couldn't read my ID, maybe because of some odd German letters in my name. Eventually, the staff had to type in the numbers manually. Alternatively, I tried scanning the visa, which worked much better at many places, including train stations.

✅ Reserve your ticket at least 7 days in advance

✅ Check on WeChat/Weixin for 故宫 (Forbidden City)

✅ Choose the Palace Museum Channel 故宫博物院 or scan the QR code

✅ Choose a date and type in your passport number

✅ Make sure, your WeChat account is verified

✅ Make sure, your WeChat account is connected to a credit card

✅ The ticket price is around 7/8 euros, much cheaper than through OTAs

Booking a Ticket for the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum in Xi'an

Another major heritage site in China, often dubbed the Eighth World Wonder, is the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum in Xi'an. Since we had a good experience booking through WeChat for the Forbidden City, we decided to use it for this site again—which, in this case, was much easier to find.

You can either search for the museum in English letters or with 秦始皇帝陵博物院 in Chinese, and should quickly find it. Alternatively, scan the following QR code published on the museum's official website.

The big advantage here is also that the payment gets through immediately, and all you have to do is enter your passport number. Just like in Beijing, you don't receive a physical ticket or confirmation. I took a screenshot just in case, but overall, like in every other place in China, the passport scan worked without issue.

Alternatively, you can always use the Website of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, which works much better than the Forbidden City's site. Just like on WeChat, you will have to enter your passport details, and then pay by credit card.

The price for a visit is slightly higher than for the Forbidden City in Beijing—in fact, it costs twice as much. However, considering the cultural significance of the site and the opportunity to spend an entire day there—not only at the excavation pits but also in the museum and the restaurant/entertainment area—it's worth it.

If you've never been to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses in China, it’s a must-see. Also, having a real or audio guide helps to better understand the importance of the site.

✅ Use WeChat or the museum's website to book your ticket

✅ Unlike the Forbidden City, you don’t need to book far in advance—but check early, just in case

✅ Search for 秦始皇帝陵博物院 to find the Xi'an Terracotta Warriors Museum's WeChat Channel

✅ Choose a slot and enter your passport number

✅ You won't receive a ticket—just a quick verification

✅ Show up with your passport, scan it at the entrance, and get access to the site

Getting Yourself Verified

Even before your arrival, you can connect your credit card to WeChat and AliPay. This allows you to use the app upon arrival. Before being able to send and receive money, you'll need to get verified.

The process is fairly straightforward. You will receive confirmation codes and need to scan your passport/visa. Additionally, you should take a picture of your face and send it to the chat to prove your identity.

Using the Mini-Programs

Integrated into WeChat channels are mini-programs, which provide access to additional services, especially in the tourism sector. If you open a mini-program, a kind of website interface appears with various functions. Here, you can select time slots, enter your name and passport details, and secure your ticket.

Tracking - The Downside of WeChat

When using Chinese apps, you should always be aware of potential tracking and monitoring. Many of the most popular (and sometimes necessary) apps have extremely low ratings in the Play Store/Apple Store. While they are highly practical for daily life, it’s important to keep in mind that using them is a trade-off.

Avoiding Higher Costs on OTA Platforms

One major advantage of using WeChat or the official heritage site websites is that you avoid additional costs when booking through OTAs. Platforms like Ctrip, GetYourGuide, and Trip.com add significant surcharges, meaning that instead of paying 7-8 euros for the Forbidden City, you might end up paying 15-30 euros per person.

(Higher prices on OTA pages)