Forbidden City vs Palace Museum: are they the same?

Short answer: the Forbidden City and the Palace Museum are the same place in Beijing. The question comes up as soon as people start booking, because the official website and many listings use the museum’s name. Here is why both names exist, and what it means for your ticket.

Why two names?

“Forbidden City” is the name of the palace; “Palace Museum” is the name of the museum inside it. The Palace Museum is the museum inside the Forbidden City; both names refer to the same site. That is why booking sites and listings use both names. The official English booking site is intl.dpm.org.cn.

What it means for booking

• Same ticket. A “Palace Museum ticket” and a “Forbidden City ticket” are the same entrance.
• Same rules. Tickets go on sale 7 days before the visit date, around 20:00 Beijing time, and the palace is closed on Mondays, except Mondays that are public holidays.
• Watch out for the Taipei museum. Searching “Palace Museum” can also show the National Palace Museum in Taipei, a different museum.

Read next

• Forbidden City tickets: price, booking steps, release time.
• How to book Forbidden City tickets for foreigners.