Anshan Science and Technology Museum

Anshan Science and Technology Museum

The Anshan Science and Technology Museum serves as a base for science education and outreach.

Originally named the Anshan Science Hall, the Anshan Science and Technology Museum was inscribed with its name by the late Comrade Chen Yun, a former leader of the Party and the country. It was completed and officially put into use in 1986. Covering an area of 10,000 square meters, the building had a construction area of 5,400 square meters at that time, featuring a structure with a two-story cluster of auxiliary buildings surrounding a nine-story main building. After the completion of the second phase project and subsequent renovations, the Anshan Science and Technology Museum now houses permanent science exhibition halls, a tiered multifunctional academic lecture hall, computer rooms, as well as various meeting rooms and classrooms of different sizes. The museum currently has 44 staff members, with departments including the Director’s Office, General Office, Exhibition Department, Information Management Department, Education Department, Comprehensive Management Department, and Exhibition Development & Production Department.

A science and technology museum is a public educational facility designed to popularize scientific and technological knowledge, disseminate scientific ideas and methodologies. It aims to improve the public's scientific literacy, operates on a non-profit basis, and remains open year-round to serve society directly. As a public welfare institution, it serves as one of the foundational infrastructures for implementing the strategy of revitalizing the country through science and education. It is an important component of China’s scientific and science communication endeavors and also one of the symbols of a modern civilized city.

Since its establishment, the Anshan Science and Technology Museum has consistently upheld the goal of serving science education. With the objectives of improving the scientific and cultural literacy of the general public and promoting the development of “two civilizations” (material and spiritual), the museum actively carries out diverse forms of science education activities for the public, especially youth, while continuously refining and enhancing its service methods. Over the years, the museum has focused on popular science topics and social issues of public interest, consistently organizing science exhibitions. These have included the “China’s First Antarctic Expedition Exhibition,” “Mysteries of the Human Body Exhibition,” “Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang Exhibition,” “Cloning Knowledge Exhibition,” “Eighth Liaoning Provincial Youth Invention Works Exhibition,” “Insect Science Photography Exhibition,” and “Lotus Photography Exhibition Celebrating Macao’s Return.” The museum also regularly hosts a variety of youth science programs, such as interest-based training courses for young people, equipped with well-furnished computer training facilities. It actively organizes youth science summer and winter camps, citywide English speech contests for primary and secondary school students, science fiction art competitions, and youth invention and innovation contests. These activities have greatly enriched the content of science education for the public, especially young people.

In recent years, in order to implement the guidelines from the CPC Central Committee and the State Council titled “Several Opinions on Strengthening Science Popularization Work,” as well as the spirit of Anshan Municipal Committee Document No. 26 (1996), the Anshan Science and Technology Museum reconstructed and upgraded its existing facilities. In April 1999, it officially opened to the public the first “Permanent Science Exhibition” in Liaoning Province.

Currently, the renovated museum exhibition space covers an area of 2,600 square meters, featuring nearly 200 interactive exhibits that demonstrate basic scientific principles and related technological applications. The museum has also added a “Hands-On Zone” and a “Science Film & Video Area.” The “Permanent Science Exhibition” changes the traditional “do not touch” approach of static displays, allowing visitors to gain knowledge and experience science through hands-on interaction in an engaging environment. In addition to spreading scientific knowledge, it plays a crucial role in cultivating scientific thinking, methods, and spirit—especially among young people—and holds significant importance in social education. The establishment of the permanent exhibition has had a broad impact across our city and surrounding regions, receiving widespread acclaim from the public, especially students and parents.

For these efforts, the Anshan Science and Technology Museum was awarded the title of “National Advanced Science and Technology Museum” by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST). It has been recognized multiple times as an “Advanced Collective” by the provincial CAST and has maintained the honor of being a “Municipal-Level Civilized Unit.” It is designated as a “National Youth Science and Technology Education Base,” a “Liaoning Provincial Science Education Base,” and a “Liaoning Provincial Practice Demonstration Base for Juvenile Moral Development.” In 2007, during the first national pilot program for “Science Museum Activities in Schools,” the museum was awarded second prize.