ménpiào: 门票 - Entrance Ticket, Admission Ticket

• Keywords: menpiao, 门票, entrance ticket in Chinese, admission ticket Chinese, how to say ticket in Chinese, buy tickets in China, tourist attraction ticket, scenic spot ticket, museum ticket, Forbidden City ticket, Great Wall ticket.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 门票 (ménpiào), which means “entrance ticket” or “admission ticket.” This term is crucial for any travel or sightseeing in China, as it's your key to accessing everything from historical sites like the Great Wall to modern museums and national parks. This guide provides a deep dive into its meaning, cultural significance, and practical usage, including how to buy tickets online in modern China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): ménpiào
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: An admission ticket required for entry into a specific venue, such as a park, tourist attraction, museum, or event.
• In a Nutshell: 门票 (ménpiào) is a straightforward and high-frequency word. It literally combines “door” and “ticket” to mean “door ticket” — the ticket that gets you through the gate. If you're going anywhere in China that requires you to pay for entry, you'll need a 门票. It's one of the most practical nouns a tourist or new resident can learn.

• 门 (mén): This character is a pictograph of a double-leaf door or a gate. It represents an entrance or opening.
• 票 (piào): This character means “ticket,” “slip of paper,” or “ballot.” It's the standard character used for all kinds of tickets, from train tickets (火车票) to movie tickets (电影票).
• The combination is perfectly logical: the ticket (票) that gets you through the door or gate (门).

The concept of an “entrance ticket” isn't unique to China, but the culture and process surrounding 门票 have distinct modern characteristics. In the past, one would simply go to a 售票处 (shòupiàochù), or ticket window, at an attraction to buy a paper 门票. Today, for almost all major tourist sites, this has changed dramatically. The modern 门票 experience is defined by digitalization and real-name registration.

• Digital First: Major attractions like the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Warriors, and many national parks require visitors to book their 门票 online in advance, often days or even weeks ahead. Spontaneously showing up to buy a ticket is often no longer possible, especially during peak seasons.
• Real-Name Registration: When booking, you must link your 门票 to an official identification document. For Chinese citizens, this is their national ID card (身份证 - shēnfènzhèng). For foreigners, it is your passport (护照 - hùzhào). At the gate, you don't scan a ticket; you scan your passport directly. Your document *is* your ticket.
• “Ticket Snatching” (抢票 - qiǎng piào): For famous sites during national holidays (like Golden Week or Spring Festival), tickets sell out within minutes of being released online. This has created a cultural phenomenon of 抢票 (qiǎng piào), where millions of people log on at a precise time to “snatch” tickets the moment they become available.

This system is different from the typical Western experience, where while online booking is encouraged, same-day walk-up purchases are often still an option, and ID-linking for a simple museum entry is far less common. The Chinese system prioritizes crowd control, security, and data management on a massive scale.

Understanding how to talk about and acquire a 门票 is a vital practical skill.

You'll almost always need to buy your 门票 online via an official website, a WeChat Mini Program, or an app like Ctrip (携程 - Xiéchéng). You will be required to enter your full name and passport number.

For most major attractions, there is no physical ticket. You will go to a designated line for foreign passport holders and have your passport scanned by a machine or a staff member. The system recognizes your booking, and the gate opens.

Be aware of different ticket categories, as you may be eligible for a discount:

• 成人票 (chéngrénpiào): Adult ticket
• 学生票 (xuéshēngpiào): Student ticket (usually requires a valid student ID)
• 儿童票 (értóngpiào): Child ticket
• 老年票 (lǎoniánpiào): Senior ticket

• Example 1:
  • 故宫的门票多少钱一张？
  • Pinyin: Gùgōng de ménpiào duōshǎo qián yī zhāng?
  • English: How much is one entrance ticket for the Forbidden City?
  • Analysis: A classic and essential sentence for any tourist. `多少钱 (duōshǎo qián)` is “how much money,” and `一张 (yī zhāng)` is the measure word for flat objects like tickets.
• Example 2:
  • 我们需要提前在网上买门票吗？
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen xūyào tíqián zài wǎngshàng mǎi ménpiào ma?
  • English: Do we need to buy the entrance tickets online in advance?
  • Analysis: This is a crucial question to ask in modern China. `提前 (tíqián)` means “in advance,” and `在网上 (zài wǎngshàng)` means “online.” The answer is almost always “yes.”
• Example 3:
  • 这里的门票可以用学生证打折。
  • Pinyin: Zhèlǐ de ménpiào kěyǐ yòng xuéshēngzhèng dǎzhé.
  • English: The entrance tickets here can be discounted with a student ID.
  • Analysis: `用 (yòng)` means “to use,” and `打折 (dǎzhé)` means “to give a discount.” Always carry your student ID if you have one.
• Example 4:
  • 对不起，今天的门票已经卖完了。
  • Pinyin: Duìbùqǐ, jīntiān de ménpiào yǐjīng mài wán le.
  • English: Sorry, today's entrance tickets are already sold out.
  • Analysis: `卖完 (mài wán)` is a resultative complement meaning “to sell out.” You will hear this often if you don't book in advance.
• Example 5:
  • 请出示您的护照，您的护照就是您的门票。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng chūshì nín de hùzhào, nín de hùzhào jiùshì nín de ménpiào.
  • English: Please show your passport; your passport is your entrance ticket.
  • Analysis: `出示 (chūshì)` is a formal way to say “to show” or “present.” This sentence perfectly explains the modern, ID-linked ticketing system.
• Example 6:
  • 这张门票包括所有展览吗？
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhāng ménpiào bāokuò suǒyǒu zhǎnlǎn ma?
  • English: Does this entrance ticket include all the exhibitions?
  • Analysis: `包括 (bāokuò)` means “to include/contain.” Sometimes, special exhibits within a museum require a separate ticket.
• Example 7:
  • 我在携程上预订了两张门票。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zài Xiéchéng shàng yùdìng le liǎng zhāng ménpiào.
  • English: I booked two entrance tickets on Ctrip.
  • Analysis: `预订 (yùdìng)` means “to reserve” or “to book.” Ctrip (携程) is a very popular travel app in China.
• Example 8:
  • 售票处在哪里？我想买一张当天的门票。
  • Pinyin: Shòupiàochù zài nǎlǐ? Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yī zhāng dàngtiān de ménpiào.
  • English: Where is the ticket office? I want to buy a same-day entrance ticket.
  • Analysis: `售票处 (shòupiàochù)` is “ticket office.” `当天 (dàngtiān)` means “same-day.” As noted, this is becoming less and less possible at major sites.
• Example 9:
  • 进入这个公园是免费的，不需要门票。
  • Pinyin: Jìnrù zhège gōngyuán shì miǎnfèi de, bù xūyào ménpiào.
  • English: Entering this park is free; you don't need an entrance ticket.
  • Analysis: `免费 (miǎnfèi)` means “free of charge.” A happy sentence to hear!
• Example 10:
  • 国庆节期间的门票太难抢了！
  • Pinyin: Guóqìngjié qījiān de ménpiào tài nán qiǎng le!
  • English: The entrance tickets during the National Day holiday are too hard to snatch!
  • Analysis: This sentence captures the cultural phenomenon of `抢票 (qiǎng piào)`, “ticket snatching.” `太难…了 (tài nán…le)` expresses that something is “too difficult.”

• Specificity is Key: The biggest mistake learners make is using a general word for “ticket” when Chinese requires a specific one. 门票 (ménpiào) is *only* for entry into a place.
  • For a train, use 火车票 (huǒchēpiào).
  • For a plane, use 机票 (jīpiào).
  • For a movie, use 电影票 (diànyǐngpiào).
  • Incorrect: 我买了两张门票去上海。(Wǒ mǎi le liǎng zhāng ménpiào qù Shànghǎi.) - This sounds like you bought two entrance tickets *to the city of Shanghai*, which is nonsensical. You should say: 我买了两张去上海的火车票/机票。
• The “Show Up and Buy” Fallacy: A common cultural mistake is assuming you can buy a 门票 on the day of your visit.
  • Incorrect Assumption: 我们可以下午到长城，然后买门票。(Wǒmen kěyǐ xiàwǔ dào Chángchéng, ránhòu mǎi ménpiào.) - “We can arrive at the Great Wall in the afternoon and then buy tickets.”
  • Why it's wrong: For popular sections of the Great Wall, especially during holidays, tickets may be sold out days in advance. Always check the official booking policy online before you go.

• 售票处 (shòupiàochù) - Ticket office; the physical place where tickets are sold.
• 景点 (jǐngdiǎn) - Scenic spot; a tourist attraction that would require a 门票.
• 入场券 (rùchǎngquàn) - A more formal synonym for 门票, often used for events, concerts, or conferences. Literally “enter-venue-ticket.”
• 网上订票 (wǎngshàng dìngpiào) - The verb phrase “to book tickets online,” which is how you get a 门票 now.
• 二维码 (èrwéimǎ) - QR code. Often, the digital confirmation of your 门票 booking is a QR code.
• 护照 (hùzhào) - Passport. For foreigners, this is the document used to book and redeem your 门票.
• 身份证 (shēnfènzhèng) - National ID card. For Chinese citizens, this is their key to the 门票 system.
• 抢票 (qiǎng piào) - To “snatch tickets.” The competitive act of booking high-demand tickets online the moment they are released.
• 学生票 (xuéshēngpiào) - Student ticket. A specific, often discounted, type of 门票.
• 免费 (miǎnfèi) - Free of charge. The opposite of needing a 门票.