Great Wall of China reopens museum on 24 October

The Great Wall of China reopened its museum at Badaling on 24 October 2026, giving visitors to Peking a new cultural stop beside the historic fortifications. The China Great Wall Museum had been closed since April 2022 while it underwent redevelopment and renovation.

The reopening is a lasting change for visitors to this section of the wall. The museum now provides an indoor view of the monument before or after a visit to the Badaling ramparts.

Great Wall museum reopening adds exhibitions at Badaling

The museum stands at the foot of the Badaling section in Yanqing District, on the outskirts of the Chinese capital. It reopened on a trial basis after a joint completion inspection in June 2026.

Its permanent exhibition contains more than 700 cultural relics, including items loaned by museums across China. Special and digital exhibitions add further material about the history, culture and spirit of the Great Wall.

The renovated building includes exhibition areas, educational spaces, public service areas, collection storage and research facilities. A Great Wall Hall uses glass curtain walls to provide views towards the Badaling section and the surrounding landscape.

The official reopening notice says admission is free during the trial operation. It also states that reservations are not required, although entry stops when the daily visitor limit is reached.

Badaling views connect the museum with the wall

The museum first opened in 1994 and was redesigned during a project that began in December 2023. The new architecture uses forms associated with ancient fortifications and is designed to blend into the mountain setting.

The building has approximately 16,000 square metres of floor area. Its displays trace more than 2,000 years of wall construction and describe changing approaches to protection and conservation.

This arrangement links the reopening directly to the place itself: the permanent exhibition explains the monument, while the upper-level Great Wall Hall looks towards the Badaling structures outside. The Great Wall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Beijing contains about 520 kilometres of wall sections.

The Xinhua report on the renovation identifies Badaling as the most visited section in Beijing. It also records the museum building, its exhibition spaces and its collection of more than 700 cultural relics.

Trial operation sets practical conditions for visitors

• The China Great Wall Museum reopened at the foot of Badaling on 24 October 2026 and is operating on a trial basis.
• Admission is free during the trial operation, no reservation is required, and entry ends when the daily limit of 4,000 visitors is reached.
• The museum is closed on Tuesdays except on public holidays, and visitors must present valid identity documents.
• Badaling is in Yanqing District, north-west of central Peking, and the museum sits beside the Badaling section of the Great Wall.
• China uses Mandarin as its official language and the renminbi as its national currency.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Great Wall of China

What changed at the Great Wall of China?

The China Great Wall Museum reopened at Badaling on 24 October 2026 after renovation and redevelopment.

What can visitors see at the reopened museum?

The permanent exhibition contains more than 700 cultural relics, while special and digital exhibitions explore the history and culture of the Great Wall.

Where is the Great Wall of China museum?

It is at the foot of the Badaling section in Yanqing District, on the outskirts of Peking.