Great Hall of the People

Entering through the East Gate, and passing through two halls, one will reach the Central Hall. Covering an area of 3,600sqm, The Central Hall has a colorful marble floor and walls. Six main gates standing in the Central Hall lead to the Great Auditorium. In the heart of the Great Hall, the Great Auditorium is 60m deep from east to west, 76m wide from south to north and 33m high. Fan-shaped, the dais is visible everywhere. The Great Auditorium seats 3,693 in the lower auditorium, 3,515 in the balcony, 2,518 in the gallery and 300 to 500 on the dais, holding as many as 10,000 representatives in total. The lower auditorium is equipped with electrical devices, available for simultaneous interpretation into 12 languages. The ceiling is decorated with a large ruby like star surrounded by a galaxy of lights. 

Great Auditorium

Guest Hall

 Salute State Guest Hall & State Banquet Hall
Entering through the North Gate of Great Hall of the People, passing through two halls, one will reach the Companionship Hall. With an area of 4,500sqm, the Companionship Hall is paved with marble floor. To the east is the State Guest Meeting Hall and to the west is the State Guest Banquet Hall, serving as the sites for state leaders to meet and the banqueting of state guests. To the south is a big white marble staircase with 62 steps that led up to the State Banquet Hall. At the top of the staircase is the Salute State Guest Hall, the place for state leaders and guests to take group photos as souvenirs before the banquet. The biggest traditional Chinese painting of the Great Hall, Jiangshanruciduojiao (Literally means 'Beauty is the land'), is placed in the Salute State Guest Hall. The State Banquet Hall rests on the second floor. With an area of 7,000 square meters, it can entertain 7,000 guests, and up to 5,000 people can dine at a single sitting, as was done on the occasion of Richard Nixon's visit to China in 1972.

 The Great Hall of the People is the political hub of Beijing and home of the National People's Congress. Every year, in March, it plays host to the liang hui, literally means "two meetings" (Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the National People's Congress) event. Representatives of the two meetings meet in sessions lasting for two to three weeks at the Great Auditorium. The Communist Party of China (CPC) also holds its National Congress every five years. This enormous building is open to the public when the national conference is not in session, and visitors are shown in a selection of routes. In recent years, some non-political conventions and concerts have also been held here.
 By Bus:
1. Take Tourist Bus Line 1 to Tian'anmen.
2. Take bus 1, 5, 52, Sightseeing Bus Line 1, Sightseeing Bus Line 2 or Tourist Bus Line 2, and get off at Tian'anmen West.
3. Take bus 1, 2, 52, 59, 82, 120, Sightseeing Bus Line 2 or Tourist Bus Line 2 to Tian'anmen East, and then walk west for about 3 minutes.

By Subway:
1. Take Subway Line 1 to Tiananmen West Station, and you'll find the Great Hall of the People on the west of the Tianmenmen Square.
2. Take Subway Line 2 to Qianmen Station and walk north.
Beijing Bus / Subway Search
 

Entrance Fee	CNY 30
Opening Hours	Dec. - Mar.: 9:00-14:00; Apr. - Jun.: 8:15-15:00; Jul. - Aug.: 7:30-16:00; Sep. - Nov.: 8:30-15:00

 Tips:
1. Tickets can be bought with passports, and take turns to get into the Great Hall from the East Gate.
2. Bags should be stored in the Left Luggage Room before entering the Great Hall.
3. It is closed to the public when there are national conferences or other big political activities.  Read  more: China Sightseeing Tours to Top 6 Attractions on CNY Banknotes