UPDATED: Prepare for (Even) More Road Closures This Weekend, Sep 21-22

Drivers and bikers alike, take heed: if you're planning on using your car or electric scooter in Beijing this weekend, prepare for some serious detours. Just like last weekend, in preparation for the 70th Anniversary of the People's Republic of China, pretty much every major road in the center of the city and extending east to Chaoyang Park (the area roughly outlined in the image above) will be closed down to vehicles this weekend as well, in order to allow for military parade drills.

Though we're unable to find specific details, we'd assume that Tiananmen Square will again be off-limits to the public Sep 21 and 22 (as it was last weekend), while the Forbidden City is completely closed until Oct 1.

Road closures and restrictions

Beginning Saturday, Sep 21, parking will be prohibited on most major roads north of Qianmen Donglu and south of Dongsixi Dajie within the East and West Second Ring Road, as well as on Workers' Stadium East Road, Jianguomenwai Dajie, and the roads that run from the Agricultural Exhibition Center to Pinganlixi Dajie (including Workers' Stadium North, Dongsishitiao, and Di’anmendong Dajie).

By 5pm on Saturday, most major roads north of Qianmen Donglu and south of Dongsixi Dajie within the East and West Second Ring Road will be closed, as will Workers' Stadium East Road. Most closures will run until the evening of Sep 22, but some closures in the Qianmen area will be in effect until Monday, Sep 23.

Subway Closures

The drills will also affect subway stops along Lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 14:

Saturday, Sep 21

• Dawanglu (Line 14) closed to Line 1 transfers from 12.30pm on Sep 21 until noon on Sep 22
• Tian'anmen West, Tian'anmen East (Line 1); Qianmen (Lines1/2) closed from 4pm
• Guomao, Fuxingmen (Line 1); Changchunjie, Hepingmen, Jianguomen, Fuxingmen, Xuanwumen (Line 2); Xidan, Xuanwumen (Line 4); Dongdan (Line 5) closed from 5pm
• Chongwenmen Station (Line 2/5) closed from 6pm 
• Yuanmingyuan, East Gate of Peking University, Renmin University (Line 4) closed from 5.30pm until 10pm
• Yonghegong (Line 2/5); Dengshikou (Line 5) closed from 7pm until 10.30pm
• Puhuangyu (Line 5); Beigongda Ximen (Line 14) closed from 6pm until 10pm
• Babaoshan (Line 1) Tiantongyuan Bei, Huxinxijie Beikou, Songjiazhuang (Line 5) closed from 6.30pm until 10.30pm
• Haojiafu (Line 6) closed from 8pm to 10pm
• Sihuidong (Line 1); Dongsi (Line 5/6) closed from 8.30pm until 10.30pm
• Wukesong (Line 5) closed from 8.30pm until 10.30pm
• Jishutan (Line 2) closed from 9pm until 10.30pm
• Sihui (Line 1) closed 9pm until 10.30pm

Sunday, Sep 22

• Babaoshan (Line 1) closed from 2pm until 7.30pm
• Fuxingmen (Line1/2) closed from 2.30pm
• Hepingmen (Line 2) closed from 3pm
• Tian'anmen West, Tian'anmen East (Line 1); Qianmen (Lines1/2) closed from 4pm
• Huixinxijie Beikou (Line 5) closed from 4.30pm until 7.30pm
• All stops from Fuxingmen to Jianguomen (Line 1), Changchunjie, Xuanwumen, Chongwenmen, Jianguomen (Line 2); Caishikou, Xuanwumen, Xidan, Lingjing Hutong (Line 4); Dongdan, Chongwenmen (Line 5); Caishikou, Hufangqiao, Zhushikou (Line 7) closed from 5pm
• Songjiazhuang (Line 5); Haojiafu (Line 6) closed from 6pm until 8pm
• Wukesong (Line 1) closed from 6.40pm until 8.30pm
• Dongsi (Line 5) closed from 7pm until 9pm

TL;DR?

If all of this seems a bit confusing, here are the bullet points:

• Try to spend your weekend outside of the area marked in yellow in the image above. As a motivator, the government has waived toll fees Oct 1-7.
• After the weekend, expect it to be increasingly difficult to circulate in the center of the city, regardless of your mode of transport, until the anniversary has passed. The image up top was actually first circulated back in 2015 during the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and if that year was anything to go by, the city is going to be locked down, tight.
• At weekends especially, forget that Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City even exist. Just imagine a big, tall, impenetrable wall around the area (like in the olden days!) and don't try to approach it until after the anniversary. 
• Park your car, and dust off the bicycle for the next few weeks.
• Consider leaving Beijing completely and coming back after Golden Week. 

READ: Take It From Us: Get the Hell out of Beijing for the October Holiday

Image: Robynne Tindall, Tom Arnstein