Choose a city
Fifteen cities, one clear path each
Every city has its own booking quirks. Pick one to see its rules and every attraction guide.
How it works
Three steps to a ticket
- 1
Find your attraction
Search or pick a city. Every guide opens with the essentials at a glance: book ahead or not, release time, price, hours and the passport rule.
- 2
Follow one recommended path
We name a single booking channel that works with a passport, with step-by-step instructions — and live screenshots where we captured the flow.
- 3
Keep a backup ready
If the main path fails, each guide lists brief fallbacks, recent traveler reports, and what to check before you go.
Set an alarm
Hardest to book
Timed releases, sell-outs and permit rules. Release times are Beijing time (UTC+8).
BeijingForbidden City (Palace Museum)Official website (English)
BeijingNational Museum of ChinaOfficial website (English)
BeijingTiananmen SquareOfficial WeChat mini-program (天安门广场预约参观)
BeijingChairman Mao Memorial HallOfficial website
HangzhouLingyin Feilai Peak Scenic Area (incl. Lingyin Temple)Official Alipay mini-program (Hangzhou Lingyin Feilai Peak)
LhasaPotala PalaceLicensed Tibet tour agency
NanjingNanjing Massacre Memorial HallOfficial WeChat account
GuangzhouGuangdong MuseumOfficial WeChat account
Guilin / YangshuoYulong River bamboo raft (Yangshuo)Official WeChat mini-program (遇龙河)
SuzhouSuzhou MuseumOfficial website
Stuck booking? Message me on WhatsApp
Xiaocong, a local in China, replies 9:00–24:00 Beijing time. Send a screenshot of the step you’re stuck on.
Message on WhatsAppBefore any booking
Quick universal tips
Passport
Real-name attractions usually need the same passport at booking and entry. Carry the original.
Release times
Popular sites drop tickets days ahead at a fixed Beijing-time clock (e.g. Forbidden City 20:00, 7 days ahead). Be ready in that timezone.
WeChat vs web
Some free museums and squares are WeChat-mini-program first. When an English website or Trip.com is the documented foreigner path, we recommend that instead.
Tips summarize patterns documented across our city and attraction sources (compiled 6 Oct 2026).
How we verify
Sourced, dated, and honest about gaps
- Prefer official scenic / museum pages and bilingual notices when reachable.
- Use traveler reports (e.g. Reddit) as pain evidence — not as policy.
- Anything we could not confirm against an official page is listed under Check before you go, and unconfirmed steps carry a Check marker.
- Booking flows with screenshots were captured live on the booking sites, stopping before personal data or payment.