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Why people ask
Travelers hear “real-name” and fear only Chinese ID / phone works. For foreigners, passport number is the normal real-name field on English and Trip.com paths.
Some free museums and square reservations still route through WeChat — passport is entered there, but the app is still required.
What to do
- Check the attraction page’s primary path: Official English, Trip.com, WeChat, or gate.
- Create the account with the passport you will carry (name spelling must match).
- Book Hard sites at release time; keep Easy parks as walk-up backups.
- At entry, show the same passport; screenshots alone are often not enough.
Pitfalls
- Using a friend’s Chinese ID to “make booking easier” — mismatches fail at the gate.
- Booking under one passport and entering with another.
- Confusing Alipay/WeChat Pay (payment) with identity.
- Assuming every city has the same app mix — Beijing ≠ Shanghai ≠ Xi’an.
Verified 16 Oct 2026 CST. “Passport only” = passport as ID, not a promise of zero apps. Rules change.
FAQ
Do I need a Chinese ID card?
No. Foreign visitors use passport on the paths we document.
Is passport enough with zero apps?
Sometimes (gate parks). Often you still need email, Trip.com, or WeChat — but identity is still the passport.
Can I book Terracotta with passport on Trip.com?
Yes — that is our listed overseas path.
What if the form only accepts Chinese ID format?
You are on the wrong channel — switch to the English / foreigner path on our attraction page.
How fresh?
Guidance aligned with booking-ease and attraction pages as of 15–16 Oct 2026.