Xiaomi EV Factory Tour: How to Book, What to Expect & Honest Odds (2026)
China is now the world’s largest car exporter, and Beijing wants tourists to see that story up close. The city government has been pushing “industrial tourism” hard. Factories that once hid behind high walls and security guards are now opening their doors. Among them, one tour has become absurdly difficult to get into: the Xiaomi EV factory in Yizhuang.
Xiaomi’s first electric car, the SU7, launched in March 2024 and sold out its entire 2025 allocation in 24 hours. The company then did something unexpected. It built a visitor center inside its 718,000-square-meter factory campus and started running public tours. For free.
Getting a slot, though, is the hard part. This guide covers exactly how the booking system works, what your real chances are, what you will actually see, and whether the whole thing is worth the stress if you do not speak Mandarin.
Why visit a car factory?
Most people come to Beijing for the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and roast duck. A factory tour sounds like a school field trip. But what Xiaomi has built in Yizhuang is not a standard assembly line. It is a statement about where Chinese manufacturing is heading.
The campus covers 718,000 square meters. That is roughly the area of the Forbidden City. Inside, 700 robots weld car bodies with 91% automation. A 9,100-ton die-casting machine, the largest of its kind, stamps out entire rear underbodies in 120 seconds. The assembly line pushes out a finished SU7 every 76 seconds. These are numbers that rival Tesla’s best factories.
For the kind of traveler who reads technology news and wonders what Chinese industry actually looks like on the ground, this is one of the few places where you can see it firsthand. It is also genuinely hard to get into, which makes the whole thing feel less like a tourist attraction and more like a lucky break.
Where it is and how to get there
The factory sits in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, better known as Yizhuang. Address: No. 21 Huanjing Road. It is about 23 kilometers southeast of central Beijing.
| From | Approximate time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Tiananmen Square | 35-45 minutes by car | ~ÂĄ80-100 |
| Beijing South Station | 25-30 minutes by car | ~ÂĄ60-80 |
| Capital Airport (PEK) | 50-60 minutes by car | ~ÂĄ150-180 |
| Daxing Airport (PKX) | 30-35 minutes by car | ~ÂĄ90-120 |
By subway, take the Yizhuang Line to Tongjinan Lu station, then exit A1 or B. From there it is a 10-minute taxi or ride-hail. Didi works fine in this area.
Enter through North Gate 2. There will be security. Have your ID ready. Foreigners need the same passport they registered with in the app. The name must match exactly. If your middle name appears on your passport but not in your Xiaomi Auto App registration, you will be turned away. This actually happens.
The lottery: how booking actually works
Let me be direct about this: you will probably not get in on your first try. Or your second. The booking system is not a queue. It is a random draw, and the numbers are not in your favor.
Step 1: Download the Xiaomi Auto App. It is called 小米汽车 in Chinese app stores. On iOS, search “Xiaomi Auto” in the App Store. On Android, you will need a Chinese app store or APK. The entire app is in Mandarin. Every menu, every button, every notification. There is no English version.
Step 2: Register. You need a Chinese phone number to create an account. This is the first major barrier for tourists. If you do not have a Chinese SIM, ask your hotel concierge, a local friend, or book through a tour agent who already has an account. There is no way around this.
Step 3: Find the factory visit section. Inside the app, look for 工厂参观 (factory visit). This is where available sessions are listed. Sessions appear in batches, not continuously. Xiaomi typically releases new dates in waves. Follow their official WeChat account or check the app every few days.
Step 4: Apply for a session. Pick a date and time slot. Enter your real name exactly as it appears on your passport. Submit. This enters you into the lottery for that session.
Step 5: Wait. Winners are notified through the app and by phone from Xiaomi customer service. The phone call will be in Mandarin. If you miss the call, you might lose your slot. If you win, confirm immediately. Slots are not held.
The numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Monthly applicants | ~27,000+ |
| Monthly slots | ~1,100 |
| Acceptance rate | ~4% |
| Early 2025 slots/month | 20-60 |
| Current slots/month | ~1,100 (significantly expanded) |
| Sessions on weekends | 5-10 per day |
| Sessions on weekdays | 1-2 per day |
| Groups per session | ~20 |
The odds have improved. Early in 2025, Xiaomi ran only a handful of small pilot sessions. Today the program has scaled to more than 1,000 monthly slots. January 2026 saw 126 sessions in a single month. By late 2026 those numbers should be higher still.
But 4% is 4%. Most people who apply will not get in. I suggest applying for weekday sessions, which get fewer applicants. Apply a month or more before your trip. Apply for multiple dates if the system allows it. Treat winning as a bonus, not the plan.
Black market and scams
A secondary market has emerged. Slots are resold on Xianyu (闲鱼) and through WeChat groups for ¥2,000 to 3,000, roughly $280 to 420. Do not pay this. The tour itself is free. These resellers are exploiting the lottery system and Xiaomi’s terms prohibit transfers. If your ID does not match the registered name at the gate, you will be refused entry. There is no refund from a black-market seller.
Anyone charging money for a Xiaomi factory tour slot is running a scam or at best an unauthorized resale. Report it to Xiaomi customer service if you have evidence.
What the tour covers
The standard tour runs 1 to 2 hours and has three main sections. Tours are conducted in Mandarin. English-language sessions exist but are rare — two were offered in late June 2026 as a pilot. Do not count on English availability.
1. Technology exhibition hall
You start in a showroom that displays the engineering behind Xiaomi’s cars. The centerpiece is an SU7 Max suspended on a “Mobius Strip” loop, rotating slowly above visitors. Surrounding it are cutaway displays of the Modena platform, motors, and battery packs. The headliner exhibit is the 9,100-ton super die-casting machine. At roughly the size of two basketball courts, it stamps entire rear underbody sections from molten aluminum in a single shot. Tesla’s comparable Giga Press is smaller and less powerful.
You can photograph freely here. The hall is designed for social media.
2. Workshop tour by shuttle
You board an electric shuttle that drives through the actual production floor. This is a running factory, not a museum diorama. Workers and robots are building real cars around you.
Three areas:
The die-casting workshop runs on a 120-second cycle. Molten aluminum at 700 degrees Celsius enters the 9,100-ton press. The part emerges, cools, and is inspected, all within two minutes. The noise and heat are significant.
The body shop has more than 700 robots. The automation rate here is 91%. This is what the industry calls “lights-out” production — theoretically the line can run in darkness. Robots weld, measure, and transfer body panels. Sparks fly from welding arms in coordinated arcs. Humans appear mostly as supervisors at control stations.
The assembly line produces one finished SU7 every 76 seconds. That is roughly the time it takes to read this section of the article. The line is a mix of automated guided vehicles delivering parts and human workers at specific stations. It is fast enough to feel slightly unreal.
No photography in the workshops. None. Your phone may be sealed in a pouch at entry. Security enforces this seriously. The production secrets Xiaomi is protecting are real commercial assets.
3. Test track
The campus has a 2.5-kilometer test track. Some tour groups get driven around it in an SU7 Max. If you are lucky, the driver will demonstrate launch mode: 0-100 km/h in 2.78 seconds. That is faster than a Porsche Taycan Turbo. Not every group gets the high-speed demo. It depends on the session, the driver, and the weather.
4. Extras
Some tours include access to the employee canteen, where you eat what Xiaomi workers eat. The food is factory-cafeteria standard: rice, stir-fried dishes, soup. Nothing to plan a meal around, but an interesting glimpse of working life.
The gift shop sells limited-edition Xiaomi EV merchandise: model cars, apparel, accessories. Some items are exclusive to the factory store and cannot be bought online. An SU7 test drive is occasionally included for visitors with a valid Chinese driver’s license. Ask when booking — it is not part of every session.
Tour schedule and timing
| Day type | Sessions per day | Time range | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekdays | 1-2 | 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Single morning block |
| Weekends & holidays | 5-10 | 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM | Every 30 minutes |
Weekday sessions are fewer but also less competitive per slot. If your Beijing itinerary is flexible, target a Tuesday or Wednesday morning.
The factory closes for Chinese New Year, typically about two weeks in late January or early February. National Day week (October 1-7) is open but crowded, with many domestic tourists also applying. Best months for comfortable weather and manageable crowds: April, May, September, October.
Rules, dress code, and what to bring
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 6 years old |
| ID | Original passport (name must match registration) |
| Pants | Long pants required |
| Shoes | Closed-toe, flat soles |
| Prohibited clothing | Shorts, skirts, dresses, sandals, slippers, high heels |
| Safety gear | Helmet provided by factory |
| Photography | Allowed in exhibition hall only; no photos in workshop areas |
| Phone | May be sealed in pouch for workshop section |
| Language | Tour conducted in Mandarin |
The dress code is enforced. Yizhuang is not central Beijing. If you show up in shorts and sandals after a 40-minute taxi ride, you will be turned away. No exceptions.
The language problem
This is the most honest section of this guide. If you speak zero Mandarin, the Xiaomi factory tour is going to be a struggle.
The app is in Chinese. The lottery registration is in Chinese. The confirmation phone call is in Chinese. The tour guide speaks Chinese. The safety briefing is in Chinese. The exhibit labels are in Chinese. Everything.
Xiaomi has hosted visitors from more than 70 countries and has started offering periodic English sessions, but these are experimental and rare. Two English sessions were held on June 21 and June 27, 2026. That is two sessions out of more than 120 that month.
If you are serious about visiting, bring a Mandarin-speaking friend, hire a guide, or join a group organized by a bilingual tour operator. Some Beijing-based tour companies now include the Xiaomi factory in tech-focused itineraries specifically because they can handle the language barrier. Expect to pay for this service. Budget ¥500-1,500 per person for a guided factory visit, on top of the factory’s free admission.
Going alone as a non-Chinese-speaker is possible but you will miss nearly all of the context that makes the tour interesting. You will see robots and production lines, which are visually impressive regardless, but none of the engineering details or manufacturing philosophy will reach you.
Is it worth it for a non-Chinese speaker?
If you win the lottery, yes, go. It is free, it is unique, and the sheer scale of the operation communicates itself without words. The exhibition hall is photogenic. The shuttle ride through the body shop, with 700 welding robots throwing sparks in the dark, is genuinely memorable in any language.
If you do not win, do not pay a scalper. Do not rearrange your Beijing trip around this. The odds are what they are.
If you are a technology journalist, an automotive engineer, or someone with a deep interest in manufacturing, the effort required (Chinese SIM, app download, lottery applications, hiring a translator) may still pencil out. For most travelers, though, this should be treated as a lucky bonus, not a centerpiece of a Beijing itinerary.
Better alternatives: other EV factory tours in China
Xiaomi’s lottery is the hardest booking in Chinese industrial tourism. Other automakers are much easier to visit, and some offer better experiences for English speakers.
| Factory | Location | Booking | Cost | English? | Best feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NIO Hefei | Hefei, Anhui | NIO App (English available) | 1,000 NIO Points (~$14) | Yes, English tours | Live battery swap demo, 130K+ visitors in 2024 |
| XPeng Guangzhou | Guangzhou | App/website/WeChat | Free (kids’ program ¥258) | Limited | No lottery, straightforward booking |
| BYD Shenzhen | Shenzhen | Group booking only | Free | Chinese only | BYD’s massive headquarters campus |
| Tesla Shanghai | Shanghai | Museum only | — | Yes | Gigafactory NOT open to public |
| Li Auto | Changzhou | Owner-only | Free | Chinese only | No public access |
NIO in Hefei is the best option for foreign visitors. The NIO App has an English version. Booking costs a trivial amount of NIO Points (about $14). There is no lottery. The tour includes a live battery swap demonstration, where a robotic system exchanges a drained battery for a full one in under five minutes. NIO hosted over 130,000 visitors in 2024 and is set up for international guests.
XPeng in Guangzhou is also easy to book and free. Their app and website accept registrations without a lottery. The kids’ STEM program costs ¥258 but adults tour for free.
BYD, the world’s largest EV maker, only accepts group bookings with a minimum of 10 working days’ notice. Individual travelers cannot just show up. Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory does not offer public tours at all — only a small museum is accessible. Li Auto restricts visits to car owners.
Yizhuang: make a tech day of it
Even if you miss out on Xiaomi, Yizhuang itself is worth exploring for a day. Beijing has poured resources into turning this district into a technology tourism zone, and several other attractions are clustered nearby. You can fill a full day here without the factory.
Robot World is a free exhibition space open on weekends. It covers 4,000 square meters and features more than 50 robot brands. Unitree’s humanoid robots and robodogs perform scheduled shows. Free admission, no booking required for individuals. This is the easiest tech attraction to access in the district.
Apollo Park is Baidu’s autonomous driving campus. You can ride in a self-driving taxi on a closed course. Group appointments only. Contact through Baidu Apollo’s official channels.
Robot Flame Lab (机器人焰究所) is a robot-themed restaurant and bar. Robot bartenders mix drinks. A robot band plays. Robot arms cook and serve food. It draws 300 to 400 visitors a day. Book through Dianping or Meituan. It is kitschy but fun, especially if you are traveling with kids.
A reasonable Yizhuang tech itinerary:
Morning: Xiaomi factory tour (if you won the lottery). If not, Robot World or Robot Flame Lab.
Lunch: Robot Flame Lab for the novelty, or one of the standard restaurants in the Yizhuang development area.
Afternoon: Apollo Park for autonomous driving, or the Xiaomi Auto Experience Center (separate from the factory, no lottery needed) to see SU7 cars up close and book a test drive.
This works as a self-contained day trip from central Beijing. Even if the factory lottery fails, you still get a solid dose of China’s tech scene.
Practical tips summary
Apply 4-6 weeks before your trip. Treat the lottery as a long shot. Book weekday sessions for slightly better odds. Bring a Chinese speaker or hire a guide. Bring your passport. Wear long pants and closed shoes. Install a VPN before you land. Check the Xiaomi Auto App regularly because new sessions drop in waves. If you win, confirm immediately.
Combine the factory with other Yizhuang stops to spread the risk. Do not pay a scalper. Manage your expectations: this is a working factory, not Disneyland. The highlight is the robots, the speed, and the scale. The human side is watching Chinese manufacturing ambition play out in real time on a factory floor.
Keep reading
See these related ChinaGrip guides:
- First time in Beijing — everything you need for your first Beijing trip
- China high-speed rail guide — how to take the train to Hefei for NIO, or Shenzhen for BYD
- China mobile payment guide — set up Alipay and WeChat Pay, which you will need for the Xiaomi Auto App
- China digital survival guide — VPNs, SIM cards, and apps before you land
