NATIONAL CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (THE 'EGG') · GUOJIA DA JUYUAN
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VERIFIED2026.09.11Tiananmen, the Forbidden City & Qianmen · 39.903°N 116.384°E
TicketedClosure dayReservation required
Paul Andreu's titanium-and-glass ellipsoid in a lake, 2007, just west of the Great Hall of the People — the building most foreign visitors photograph from Chang'an Avenue without realising they can go in. A ¥40 daytime visitor ticket (Tue-Sun 9:00-17:00) takes you under the lake into the halls: the two art galleries and public spaces open every day, the opera house, concert hall and theatre only on a weekly rota the NCPA publishes. There is also a free Chinese-language tour at 10:00 and 14:00 and short free concerts in the foyers.
ClosedMondays (visits); performances follow their own scheduleVerified · 2026-09Source ↗
ReservationRequired
IDReal-name entry; passport handling is unconfirmed.Verified · 2026-09Details ↓Source ↗
LandmarkWest of the Great Hall of the People, on West Chang'an Avenue
Address2 West Chang'an Avenue, XichengVerified · 2026-09Source ↗Navigate ↗
EntranceVisitor entrance via the north underwater corridor from Chang'an Avenue; Line 1 Tiananmen West, Exit C
Last verified 2026-09-11
How to book
Real-name online purchase after registering an NCPA account (QR code on the visit page); one ticket per ID per entry day, up to 10 people per order; the site's weekly 'venue opening schedule' shows which halls open which day. Group visits currently not offeredVerified · 2026-09Source ↗
ID details
Real-name entry; passport handling is unconfirmed. Real-name: the visit page says each document — 'ID card / other document' — buys one ticket per day; passport not named but 'other document' is the museum's own wording
Beat the crowds
Daytime visits are never crowded; the constraint is the rota — the opera house is often closed all week, the concert hall and theatre open two or three mornings (9:00-12:00) around rehearsals. Check the current week's table on the visit page before buying.
Language
Free scheduled tours at 10:00 and 14:00 are in Chinese; paid guiding in Chinese and English by phone booking (010-66550876) per the visit page. Signage bilingual.