Beijing News You Might Have Missed This Week, Jun 21
Beijing is a happening city! Don't miss a thing with our weekend roundup of the latest news.
Beijing Subway Expands Card Payment Options
On Jun 15, the Beijing subway system began accepting international JCB cards as well as contactless payment with domestic and international American Express cards, making it the first urban rail transit system in the world to support all five major worldwide card payment networks.
Card payment on the Beijing subway is now possible with China UnionPay, MasterCard, Visa, JCB and American Express. Subway passengers may also use their cards to buy single-trip tickets or top up their subway cards at subway self-service machines.
This service upgrade covers 29 operating lines (including the two airport lines, the Western Suburbs Line, and the Yizhuang T1 Line, 523 stations, and the suburban railway S2 Line, and supports all-network, all-time, and all-gate access. Passengers do not need to buy tickets in advance or download extra apps.
These upgrades, and others that are in the works, have been undertaken in order to further optimize the convenience of Beijing's urban rail payment services, enhance the quality of international tourism services, and to elevate Beijing's standing as an international consumer destination.
Ming Tombs Opening Updates
The 2025 Ming Dynasty Culture Forum was held on Jun 14 at the Global Ming Culture Exchange Center in Changping District. This year’s event provided an update on the ongoing effort, announced at last year’s Ming Dynasty Culture Forum, to open the entire tomb complex of the “Thirteen Ming Dynasty Tombs” (明十三陵 Míng shísān líng) to the public by the year 2030.
All appears to be going to plan, and by 2030, the main mausoleum will be fully opened and augmented by a comprehensive museum and tourism complex. Restoration work on the existing complex is also underway.
Currently, the Chang, Ding and Zhao tombs, along with the “Spirit Way,” are open to the public. Tombs open by appointment include the Kang, Yong and Si tombs. The Jing tomb will open later this year. The New Imperial Residence and Mao, Tai and Deng tombs are scheduled to open one after another from 2026 to 2028, and the Xian, Yu and Qing tombs are expected to open from 2029 to 2030.
An annual occasion, the Ming Dynasty Culture Forum aims to promote public awareness and appreciation of Ming dynasty culture through themed forums, interesting activities, discussions, and exhibitions of hundreds of Ming dynasty cultural artifacts covering a variety of categories such as clothing, weapons, paintings and books.
READ: Events and Happenings in the 'Jing This Weekend (Jun 20-22)
Images: Unsplash, Beijing Fabu, Wikimedia Commons: Charlie fong (used without alteration under CC BY-SA 4.0)
