Beijing's Palace Museum closed every Mon. afternoon

It’s the holiday season and, as always, Beijing’s Palace Museum is receiving massive numbers of tourists. To better protect the historic site while meeting increasing demand, the museum has been closing every Monday afternoon, except on public holidays. After a trial period, it has decided to carry on with that policy.

An iconic, must-see destination in the capital, the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, used to be the home of emperors from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It has been open to the public since 1925.

I’m now in front of Wumen, to the south of the Palace Museum, which is the main entrance. And this is not a usual sight! Every day tens of thousands of tourists flow into the museum through this gate.

The museum has announced it would be closed on Monday afternoons. Ticket sales on Mondays stop at 11am, and the museum closes at 12 sharp. This comes as a surprise to some unwary tourists.

"Last time I visited the Palace Museum, it was running a trial of the Monday afternoon closures. Whereas there have been some complaints, most tourists understand the situation and support the measure in aid of the restoration work taking place."

"I am on vacation, so I brought my parents to visit the Palace Museum. It’s a pity that we couldn’t make it today but I totally understand. The half day closure every week is important to preserve the 6-century-old royal palace. We’ll return tomorrow."

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