Published on Sept. 18, 2026
Tiananmen, Beijing, China
A ticket for Tiananmen in Beijing is mandatory and helps you avoid potentially long waiting times. In this article, I will show you exactly how the process works. Based on my personal experience, reserving tickets for Tiananmen Square in Beijing is very easy: You can quickly book your entry ticket to the attraction online, especially via WeChat. At certain times, there is also a spectacular show for visitors. Find out more now!
Do I Need a Ticket for the Tiananmen Square in Beijing?
Yes, you need a ticket for Tiananmen in Beijing, as one has been required for access for several years. It must be booked online and linked to your passport. The passport then serves as proof of your reservation, similar to the tickets for China’s World Heritage Sites purchased via WeChat. If you already have a ticket for the National Museum or the Mao Zedong Mausoleum, access to Tiananmen Square is included.
How Much Does a Ticket for the Tiananmen in Beijing Cost?
The ticket for Tiananmen Square in Beijing (Tiananmen) is free of charge, but you need to make a reservation in advance. In my experience, booking a time slot the evening before is usually sufficient. During the peak season, including major Chinese holidays such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, however, it doesn’t hurt to take care of this a little earlier.
Booking Tickets for Tiananmen in Beijing Using WeChat
To book your ticket for Tiananmen Square in Beijing via WeChat, simply scan the QR code displayed at the 2 metro stations, Tiananmen West and Tiananmen East. You can scan the QR code directly using the option within the WeChat app. This will open one of the mini programs that can also be used to purchase tickets for the Forbidden City. You then need to enter your personal details, most importantly your preferred time slot and passport number.
After booking, you receive a very brief confirmation in Chinese, but no actual ticket. When we translated it with Google Translate, we realized that we had to use our passports as the entry tickets and have them scanned at the entrance. The process went relatively smoothly, and we were on Tiananmen Square in Beijing within a few minutes. Once inside, you can stay until the area closes for the night. Opening hours are usually from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Note: International apps are blocked by the Great Firewall, so you need a specialized China VPN to access certain websites and apps, such as Google Translate. Only a few VPNs currently work reliably in China. We primarily used Astrill VPN because of its fast connection speeds. You can find my Astrill VPN affiliate link here.
How to Get to Tiananmen in Beijing?
The easiest way to get to Tiananmen Square is by metro. Two stations are located north of the square, not far from the Tiananmen Gate: Tiananmen East and Tiananmen West. Both are served by Line 1. From either station, it takes just a few minutes to walk to the security checkpoints.
Which Attractions Can You Find at Tiananmen in Beijing?
- Tiananmen Gate with Mao Portrait: The most famous attraction at Tiananmen in Beijing isn't the huge square itself, but the imposing gate leading toward the Forbidden City. It displays the famous portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong. You can photograph it directly in front of the building, but with the cars and bicycles passing by, Tiananmen Square offers a better vantage point. The best moment for a picture is at dusk with the gate being illuminated. Incidentally, the name Tiananmen refers only to the gate itself, with mén (门) meaning "gate." Today, the term is also commonly used for the area in front of it, although it should be called Square of the Tiananmen (of the Gate of Heavenly Peace).
- Flagpole: : The flagpole on Tiananmen in Beijing is one of the most important symbols of the People's Republic of China. Every morning and evening, a ceremony is held here to raise and lower the Chinese flag. The event is particularly popular with domestic tourists. That also means you'll have plenty of people standing in front of you. If you don't make it to the front of the barrier in time, you can at least follow the ceremony on other people's phone screens.
- Mao Zedong Mausoleum: After Mao's death, the Chairman was placed in a mausoleum, the Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, in the southern part of Tiananmen Square. At the center of the room lies Mao's mummified body in a glass coffin, dressed in a gray suit and draped with a communist flag. Admission to the Memorial Hall is free, but here too, you need to reserve a ticket through WeChat (Mini Program 毛主席纪念堂). Since the site is relatively popular and only open from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., a booking service may be worth considering. You can find various affordable offers via this affiliate link for Tiananmen Square and Mao's Mausoleum. The reservation for Tiananmen Square is included.
- Memorial of the Heroes of the People: The nearly 38-meter-high monument stands in the center of Tiananmen Square in Beijing and is hard to miss, with its ten-story square obelisk shape. Its walls feature reliefs depicting important moments in Chinese history, including the fight against Japan during World War II, the Communist crossing of the Yangtze River, and the 19th-century Opium War.
- Great Hall of the People: With 170,000 square meters and more than 300 rooms, the Great Hall of the People is certainly one of the biggest buildings in Beijing and an important landmark on Tiananmen Square. The hall is used for the congresses of the Communist Party of China and meetings of the National People's Congress. Public concerts, ranging from classical music to pop, are also held here nowadays
- National Museum of China: Covering an area of 200,000 square meters, the museum offers visitors an extensive collection of well over 1.4 million artifacts. The exhibits range from the Qing Dynasty to China's manned space program. Tickets for the National Museum of China can easily be booked on the website, via WeChat, or through GetYourGuide (affiliate link). Access to Tiananmen in Beijing is then included.
Is It Worth Visiting the Flag Ceremony at Tiananmen in Beijing?
Personally, I didn't find the flag-raising ceremony all that worthwhile, although it's something you can watch if you're already there. I wouldn't have wanted to queue up specifically for it, especially since the ceremony itself is fairly short and unspectacular. On top of that, there are huge crowds of visitors in front of you, making it difficult to see much.
The queues are supposedly much longer at dawn. In the evening, on the other hand, you can simply watch the ceremony while you're already on Tiananmen Square. My verdict: Worth seeing if you're there anyway, but not a must. Those interested in the symbolism and politics will nevertheless enjoy it.
When Is The Best Time For Visiting Tiananmen in Beijing?
The best time to visit Tiananmen Square in Beijing depends heavily on the season and the rest of your day's itinerary. In general, I'd recommend booking a late-afternoon time slot. If you schedule it close to sunset, you may even catch the flag-lowering ceremony. The later time slots are also convenient if you want to visit the Forbidden City beforehand.
For the morning flag-raising ceremony, you have to get up in the middle of the night and already be at Tiananmen Square at sunrise. If you really want to experience it, you can certainly do so. The advantage of going in the morning, of course, is that it's not as hot as it is around midday, much like in the evening.
Do I Need a Guide for a Visit at Tiananmen in Beijing?
Based on my experience, you don't necessarily need a guide for a visit to Tiananmen Square in Beijing, unlike at the Forbidden City or the Terracotta Army in Xi'an, because the square is largely self-explanatory. That said, Tiananmen naturally has plenty of stories and secrets to discover. On GetYourGuide, I mainly found combinations with the National Museum: my affiliate link takes you directly to the offer.
Is There Food Available at Tiananmen in Beijing?
No, there are no food options on Tiananmen Square itself, so you should either bring a snack or plan to eat somewhere else in Beijing afterward. I find the Qianmen area particularly convenient, as it is located south of the square and can be reached quickly. You can find typical dishes such as Peking duck, for example, on the Xianyukou Food Street. You'll also find plenty of food in Wangfujing, east of Tiananmen.
How Much Time Do I Need for Tiananmen Square in Beijing?
You don't actually need much time for Tiananmen Square in Beijing. 30–60 minutes can be enough to get a feel for the area and take some photos of Tiananmen Gate.
How To Find Accommodation Near Tiananmen in Beijing?
In der unmittelbaren Nähe des Tiananmen-Platzes gibt es nicht so viele Optionen zum Übernachten. Jedoch findet man südlich des Areals und nördlich der Verbotenen Stadt zahlreiche Hutongs und Hochhäuser, in denen sich Hotels und Pensionen befinden. Ziemlich authentisch ist z. B. das Blossom House Tiananmen (Anzeige), das allerdings bei 200 Euro pro Nacht anfängt. Etwas günstiger sind die Preise im Manxin Hotel Beijing Tiananmen Wangfujing (Anzeige) im Hutong Jinyu, wo du knapp 80 Euro pro Nacht bezahlst. Persönlich würde ich jedoch eher die Kosten insgesamt vergleichen und offen für Hotelangebote in Pekings anderen Stadtteilen sein.
There aren't that many accommodation options in the immediate vicinity of Tiananmen Square. However, south of the area and north of the Forbidden City, you'll find numerous hutongs and high-rise buildings containing hotels and guesthouses. A fairly authentic option is the Blossom House Tiananmen (affiliate link), although prices start at around €200 per night. A somewhat cheaper option is the Manxin Hotel Beijing Tiananmen Wangfujing (affiliate link) in Jinyu Hutong, where you can expect to pay around €80 per night. Personally, however, I'd compare the overall costs and keep an open mind about hotel options in other parts of Beijing.
Is it Worth Combining Tiananmen Square in Beijing with the Forbidden City?
In my opinion, it's not necessarily worth combining Tiananmen with the Forbidden City, as you need a lot of time to properly explore the palace complex with its sheer amount of information and attractions. If you want to see the individual pavilions and actually learn something about the site, you'll need almost the entire day. In theory, you could then time your visit to catch the flag ceremony at Tiananmen in the evening. By that point, however, many visitors to the Forbidden City are already exhausted. Also note that the exit from the Forbidden City is on the other side.
For the Forbidden City, I would recommend getting an audio guide or booking a private tour. In this case, it really is worth it given all the historical background you'll learn about. Here is my affiliate link to an offer I found for a guided tour of the Forbidden City.