Hello everyone. I was recently in Beijing for a big trip in China, so I decided to share my experience of entering the Tiananmen Square without a Chinese phone number.
As many of you know, despite Tiananmen Square being free to enter, one needs to make a reservation a day in advance for the square. Since I didn't have a Chinese phone number, I was unable to make the reservation on WeChat. So I decided to try entering the square without it, but they wouldn't let me in. I found that unusual, since at other attractions that usually required reservations, such as John Rabe House in Nanjing, staff would simply let me go in.
So, if you don't have a Chinese phone number, just ask the hotel staff to make the reservation for you. I asked my hotel receptionists to do it, and they did with their phone number on WeChat. The next day, I entered the Tiananmen Square after they checked my passport info.
Hope this helps fellow travellers! Enjoy your stay in China.