A Magical Night at the Forbidden City: The Palace Museum in Beijing Opens to the Public for Its First Ever Nighttime Visit in 94 Years

▲The Palace Museum in Beijing. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ruizhong)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

On the occasion of its 90th anniversary, the Palace Museum in Beijing has decided to open more areas to visitors. These include the newly restored Cining Palace and Shoukang Palace, as well as the Donghua Gate city wall and the Southeast Watchtower, increasing the accessible area to 65%. In addition, the museum will attempt its first-ever nighttime opening.

The area to be opened at night is the Palace Museum Digital Museum, which was set to open in 2015. Located outside the walls of the Palace Museum, it is unaffected by the museum’s regular evening closure, allowing visitors to explore the full panorama of the Forbidden City without entering the main grounds. In addition, two “Palace Museum Culture Streets” will be created outside Shenwumen Gate, showcasing and selling premium books and cultural creative products from the Palace Museum, and these will also be open during the nighttime event.