I booked the Forbidden City but have no QR code. What should I check?

At a glance

• Beijing's foreign-visitor guidance says Palace Museum visitors can reserve with a passport through the official English booking site, then use the original document for manual checking at Meridian Gate. [1]
• The museum's current booking guidance releases tickets 7 days ahead at 20:00 and says it does not sell same-day tickets. [2]
• Entry is through the south Meridian Gate, Wumen; exits are Shenwumen to the north and Donghuamen to the east. [2]
• The museum closes on Mondays except statutory holidays. A valid reservation must match the actual visit date and applicable session. [2]

What to do next

1. Before travelling to the museum, open the booking record and confirm that the order is successful, with the correct date, visitor name and passport number. Save it offline alongside the official instructions so a missing QR image does not become a reason to buy another ticket.
2. Bring the original passport used for the reservation. If a platform booked the ticket for you, obtain the underlying visitor details and successful admission confirmation rather than relying only on a payment receipt.
3. Plan the approach to the south Meridian Gate and allow time for the surrounding security and walking route. Do not navigate directly to a northern exit because the map labels it close to the museum.
4. At the entrance, show staff the original passport and confirmed booking and ask for the manual passport-check lane. Explain that the booking is under a foreign passport and that you have no usable QR code.
5. If the record cannot be found, compare the passport number, name, date and session against the booking. Keep the actual order available while staff or the seller resolves the mismatch; do not repeatedly scan an unsupported document at the same reader.
6. After entry, keep the passport secure and follow the museum's one-way visit and exit instructions. Plan the next stop from the exit you actually use, rather than returning to the south entrance automatically.

If your situation is different

You only have a payment confirmation: contact the seller through that order and ask for the successful museum reservation details. Payment to an intermediary and an issued admission reservation are separate things to establish before setting out.

Your passport changed after booking: contact the official booking route or seller with the old and new details before the visit. Ask how the reservation can be corrected for the document you will actually carry.

The booking is for another date or session: use the booking's supported change or refund route and obtain the correct reservation. The absence of a QR code is not the issue when the underlying entry details are wrong.

You also plan to visit Tiananmen Square: treat its reservation and security arrangements as a separate part of the day. Do not infer access to every neighbouring site from a Palace Museum booking alone.

Common mistakes

• Buying again because no QR appears: inspect the successful passport-based reservation first.
• Bringing a passport photograph instead of the original: carry the document used to book.
• Going to the north exit to enter: follow the south Meridian Gate approach.
• Treating a reseller payment as admission confirmation: obtain the actual issued booking and visitor details.

Quick questions