798, Sanlitun & the Embassy Quarter · 39.914°N 116.457°E
FreeClosure dayReservation required
Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren's looped tower for China Central Television — two leaning 234 m towers joined by a 75 m cantilever 160 m up, finished in 2012 and known to every Beijinger as 'the big pants'. It is the one piece of 21st-century architecture in the city that foreign visitors ask about by shape, and the loop itself is a state broadcaster's headquarters you cannot enter. Since 29 April 2026 there is a way in next door: the Television Cultural Center (TVCC), the once-burnt tower on the north side of the same site, opened to the public.
AdmissionFreeTower closed to visitors; TVCC north of it free (floors 1-3), WeChat bookingSecondhand source
HoursTVCC Tue-Sun 10:00-16:30 (entry to 16:00); tower exterior anytimeSecondhand source
ClosedTVCC Mondays (open on public-holiday Mondays)Secondhand source
ReservationRequired
IDID rules: see details.Secondhand sourceDetails ↓
LandmarkEast Third Ring at Guanghua Rd, north-east corner of the CBD
Address32 East Third Ring Middle Rd, ChaoyangSecondhand sourceNavigate ↗
EntranceMain tower: no public entrance. TVCC: west gate (booking-code check), exhibition entrance on the east side (listing); Line 10 Jintaixizhao Exit B/C. For the flyover view: Line 1 / Line 10 Guomao Exit E
Last verified 2026-09-24Source: platforms and press
How to book
TVCC: free real-name booking on the '电视文化中心' WeChat mini-program (local listing, June 2026), booking code checked at the west gate; no channel of any kind for the main towerSecondhand source
ID details
ID rules: see details. TVCC: the centre's own visitor notice (carried by a local listing) says bring your ID card, one card per person; a listing's site visit saw only the booking code scanned at the west gate - passport not mentioned either way
Beat the crowds
Nothing to queue for at the loop; the Guomao flyover pavement is busy with photographers at dusk on clear days. TVCC is booked ahead, so no queue there either — the crowd, if any, is weekend afternoons (no figures published).
Language
TVCC signage and the mini-program are Chinese (listing); nothing to read on the tower itself.