How to book museums in China as a foreigner (2026)

China’s big public museums are mostly free, but entry is capped and tied to an ID. For foreign visitors that ID is your passport. Almost every museum has the same pattern: a timed booking a few days ahead, released at a fixed time each day, and a passport check at the door. What differs is how far ahead, at what time, and whether you need WeChat.

The general rules

• Book with the passport you will carry. The number is checked at the gate, and a booking made with an old passport will not work.
• Most museums are closed on Mondays, except on Chinese public holidays.
• New slots are released at a fixed China time (UTC+8). For popular museums, set an alarm.
• If you cancel late or do not show up, some museums block you from booking again for a period. Cancel in the system if your plans change.

Museum by museum

National Museum of China, Beijing. Free. Book on the official English site pcticket.chnmuseum.cn or its mini-program, up to 7 days ahead, with new slots at 17:00 daily. One booking per account per week, up to 5 people. Passport holders may be asked to swap the booking for a paper QR code at the service window. The museum says that window can also book you on the day if the daily quota is not reached. Enter by the North Gate on Chang’an Avenue.

Shaanxi History Museum, Xi’an. Free main exhibition, but the hardest booking in China. Slots are released 5 days ahead at 17:00, mainly through the museum’s official WeChat account, and they go in seconds. Passports are accepted. The Tang murals gallery and special exhibitions are ticketed separately. The museum’s Qin and Han branch accepts passport holders without a booking.

Shanghai Museum. Until 14 November 2027 the People’s Square building shows only a paid exhibition on the ancient civilisations of the Americas: everyone needs a ticket (Trip.com, the museum’s WeChat mini-program or the ticket office), and last entry is 15:00. The permanent Chinese collection has moved to the East building in Pudong, which is free with no booking for individual visitors (open 10:00–18:00, closed on Tuesdays, not Mondays).

Sichuan Museum, Chengdu. Free. Book through the museum’s official WeChat account, up to 7 days ahead, with your passport.

Chengdu Museum. Free. Book up to 14 days ahead, with new slots released at 19:00. Bring the original passport you booked with. It stays open until 20:30 on Fridays and Saturdays.

When you really need WeChat

Many museums have an English website, but some, like the Shaanxi History Museum and the Sichuan Museum, book mainly through WeChat accounts and mini-programs. These usually accept passports, but the pages are in Chinese. Your phone’s translation feature helps, or ask your hotel front desk to book with your passport details. See which apps to install before you go.

If you miss out

• Try again at release time on the following days, or check for cancellations in the evening.
• Ask at the service window. Some museums keep a few same-day places or can book for foreign visitors on the spot when there is space.
• Join a guided tour. Agencies often hold group places, which is the usual fallback for the Shaanxi History Museum.
• Go to a sister venue, such as the Qin and Han branch in Xi’an or Shanghai’s East building.

Rules change often, so check the museum’s official site a week before your visit. Our reservations center lists every sight that needs a booking, and the Forbidden City guide covers the Palace Museum.