Beijing · onenicetrip

The reason we’re here

1–7 October 2027

National Day

Tiananmen Square and across Beijing

China’s National Day marks the founding of the People’s Republic on 1 October 1949. Tiananmen Square is decorated with flowers, the flag-raising there draws very large crowds, and the whole country travels during the holiday week. Watching the flag-raising needs a real-name reservation made in advance.

Every year on 1 October, with a holiday week from 1 to 7 October. Source ↗

The plan(with elbows)

Five days: book the big sights early, queue for the flag, and escape the crowds where we can.

Where we sleep

4 nights

Base in Dongcheng

Dongcheng, Beijing

Day 1 · Wed 29 Sept
Palace first, panorama second
We book the Forbidden City a week ahead and tour it before the holiday rush, then climb Jingshan Park for a view of all those roofs. The emperor had more staff.
- The Forbidden City4 h
  The imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, built in the early 1400s and now the Palace Museum. Entry is by real-name online booking only, and same-day tickets are not sold.
  What to see
  - The Meridian Gate, the main entrance
  - The Hall of Supreme Harmony
  - The Imperial Garden at the north end
  Time
  Four hours, at least.
  Tip
  Tickets go on sale seven days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time, so for this day that is the evening of 22 September, through the museum’s official mini-program. Take the passport you booked with.
  To eat
  Zhajiangmian, wheat noodles in a fermented soybean sauce, for lunch afterwards.
- Jingshan Park1 h
  A hill in a park directly north of the Forbidden City, with a pavilion on top and a view over the palace roofs. It is on the Central Axis, the line that runs through the old city.
  What to see
  - The roofs of the Forbidden City from the top
  - The pavilion on the summit
  - The park paths in the evening light
  Time
  An hour, mostly climbing and looking.
  Tip
  Leave the palace by its north gate and Jingshan is across the road. The park is open until the evening, so the light is best an hour before sunset.
  To eat
  Tanghulu, candied hawthorn berries on a stick, a classic autumn street snack.
Day 2 · Thu 30 Sept
The Wall, with a head start
Mutianyu, about an hour and a half north, on the last day before Golden Week begins. Plenty of people had the same idea, so we leave early.
- Mutianyu Great WallFull day
  A section of the Great Wall in Huairou District, north of the city, with watchtowers on forested ridges. It opens early in this season.
  What to see
  - The watchtowers along the ridge
  - The Big Corner Tower
  - The view of the wall winding into the hills
  Time
  A full day with the journey.
  Tip
  Beijing’s tourism site lists tickets on sale at the gate and opening from 07:30 until 18:00 between 16 March and 15 November. Be there for opening, because many people start their holiday on this day.
  To eat
  Roasted chestnuts, a speciality of Huairou in autumn.
Day 3 · Fri 1 Oct
Dawn at the square
National Day. If our reservation is in hand, we queue before sunrise at Tiananmen Square for the flag-raising, with the passport out. After that we slip away to Qianmen’s lanes and the Temple of Heaven, where half of Beijing seems to go for a walk.
- Tiananmen Square3 h
  One of the largest public squares in the world, with the Gate of Heavenly Peace on its north side. The flag is raised every day at sunrise, and on National Day crowds are far larger.
  What to see
  - The flag-raising at sunrise
  - The Gate of Heavenly Peace
  - The Monument to the People’s Heroes
  Time
  Three hours from the queue to the exit.
  Tip
  Entry needs a real-name reservation on the official platform, normally one to seven days ahead, with new dates opening at noon, and you must come with the ID you booked. On 1 October crowd controls apply and you must enter at your booked slot and gate. Without a reservation you can’t watch.
  To eat
  Jianbing, a thin savoury crepe with egg and crispy cracker, the classic Beijing breakfast.
- Qianmen Street and Dashilan1 h 30
  A pedestrian street just south of the square, lined with shops in the old style, beside the Zhengyangmen gate. Side lanes lead into the old Dashilan district.
  What to see
  - The Zhengyangmen gate tower
  - The old-style shop fronts
  - The side lanes of Dashilan
  Time
  An hour and a half.
  Tip
  At lunchtime on the 1st the main street is packed, so walk a block into Dashilan’s side lanes, where there is more room.
  To eat
  Peking duck, roasted and carved, wrapped in thin pancakes with scallion and sauce.
- Temple of Heaven2 h 30
  Where Ming and Qing emperors prayed for good harvests, set in a large park. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests has a round, triple roof of blue tiles.
  What to see
  - The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
  - The Circular Mound Altar
  - Locals playing cards and music in the park
  Time
  About two and a half hours.
  Tip
  The park has its own entry and the halls need a separate ticket, closing at 18:00 (last entry 17:30) in this season. The park is big, so you can lose the crowd by walking away from the central axis.
  To eat
  Douzhi, a sour fermented mung-bean drink: an acquired taste, and a very Beijing one.
Day 4 · Sat 2 Oct
The emperor’s holiday home
Day two of the holiday week, at the Summer Palace. We arrive at opening and accept that we will be sharing the lake.
- The Summer PalaceFull day
  A vast imperial garden around Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, listed by UNESCO in 1998. Emperors and the court escaped the heat of the Forbidden City here.
  What to see
  - The Long Corridor with its painted beams
  - The Seventeen-Arch Bridge
  - The view from Longevity Hill
  Time
  A full day, but half a day is enough.
  Tip
  Day two of the holiday is one of the busiest of the year. Arrive for opening, and check the palace’s official channels in case holiday dates need advance booking.
  To eat
  Old Beijing yoghurt, sold in small clay jars.
Day 5 · Sun 3 Oct
Bells, drums and lakes
A slower last day around Shichahai’s lakes and the old Drum and Bell Towers, then to the airport.
- Shichahai Lakes2 h
  A chain of lakes north-west of the Forbidden City, ringed by hutong lanes, cafés and old courtyard houses. It is the soft part of the old city.
  What to see
  - The lakeside paths
  - The Silver Ingot Bridge
  - The hutong lanes behind the water
  Time
  Two hours on foot.
  Tip
  Walk instead of hiring a pedicab, or ask the price before you get in. Mornings are calmer than evenings.
  To eat
  Lamb skewers, chuan’r, grilled over charcoal, a Beijing street classic.
- Drum and Bell Towers1 h 30
  Two towers, one behind the other, at the northern end of the Central Axis. They date back to the Yuan dynasty and kept official time for the city through the Ming and Qing.
  What to see
  - The Drum Tower and its view of the old roofs
  - The Bell Tower
  - The square and hutongs between them
  Time
  An hour and a half.
  Tip
  Book through the WeChat account named “Beijing’s Bell and Drum Towers”. In this season the towers close at 17:30, with ticket sales ending half an hour earlier.
  To eat
  Jiaozi, boiled dumplings, in the hutongs around the towers.