Dalian Natural History Museum

Dalian Natural History Museum

The Dalian Natural History Museum is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The Dalian Natural History Museum is a comprehensive natural science museum that integrates the collection, research, and exhibition of geological, paleontological, zoological, and botanical specimens. Its predecessor was first established in 1907. The new building is a modern European-style structure located on the scenic Heishijiao waterfront, with a construction area of 15,000 square meters and an exhibition area of 10,000 square meters. It is the only museum in China that also encompasses a 270,000-square-meter sea area, enjoying high recognition both domestically and internationally.

The Dalian Natural History Museum houses nearly 200,000 specimens in total, including more than 6,000 rare ones. The museum’s collection is characterized by marine biological specimens and fossils from the "Jehol Biota." Among them, there are over 20 species of marine mammal specimens—the most diverse and numerous in any natural history museum in China. A 66.7-ton black right whale specimen is unique in China and rare even in Asia. The fossil specimens of the "Jehol Biota" are the most diverse and distinctive in China. A nest of Psittacosaurus fossils is the world's only, largest in quantity, best-preserved, and truly world-shocking national treasure-grade fossil specimen. Research papers on it have been published in Nature (Issue 431, September 2004).

The Dalian Natural History Museum currently features 12 exhibition halls, including Earth, Dinosaurs, Marine Life, Northeastern Forest Animals, Wetlands, Species Diversity, and Western Liaoning Paleontological Fossils. Upon entering the lobby, a massive 22-meter-long and 3-meter-high relief artfully and perfectly blends "nature and humanity" in a grand and spectacular display. The dinosaur exhibition hall showcases a 40-meter-long panoramic semi-scene painting and lifelike dinosaur ecological models, demonstrating the entire life cycle of dinosaurs—from emergence to extinction—allowing visitors to intuitively understand dinosaurs and their living environments. The rare and exquisite Western Liaoning paleontological fossils seem to silently recount magical stories from hundreds of millions of years ago, sparking boundless imagination about the evolution of life and deep reflection on the future. In the Species Diversity exhibition hall, visitors can simply press a button to hear the calls of nearly 30 species of birds from nature. Stepping into the Northeastern Forest Animals exhibition hall feels like entering a dense primeval forest, with various animals gathering around you, prompting reflections on cherishing nature and protecting wildlife. Touchscreen multimedia computers, large-screen color TVs, as well as high-tech hardware such as central air conditioning, building automation, security monitoring, and digital audio guide systems, provide visitors with a convenient and comfortable viewing environment. Additionally, there is a multi-functional hall for academic seminars and cultural activities, a lounge for resting and sightseeing, as well as shopping and dining service facilities.

Visiting the Dalian Natural History Museum not only increases your knowledge of natural sciences but also allows you to appreciate the unique beauty of nature. Surrounded by stretches of dark reefs and small stone forests, you can listen to the "dialogue" between the sea and the rocks.

The Dalian Natural History Museum boasts advanced exhibition standards. The new museum's displays have won the 2000 National Top Ten Exhibition Excellence Award, the Best New Materials and Technologies Application Award, the 2001 Dalian Science and Technology Progress First Prize, the 2005 Dalian Science and Technology Progress First Prize for Western Liaoning fossil research, the 2006 Dalian Civilized Unit title, the 2000 Dalian First Top Ten Environmental Protection Scenic Spots award, and the 2002 Dalian Tourism Work Advanced Unit award. In 2003, as the only museum selected from Northeast China, it participated in the China-France Cultural Year event held in France. In 2002, it was named a National Youth Science and Technology Education Base, in 2005 a National Science Popularization Education Base, in 2005 a Dalian Excellent Science Popularization Education Base, and in 2005 a National Wildlife Conservation Science Popularization Education Base.

The Dalian Natural History Museum, with its renewed image, warmly welcomes friends from all over the world.

Further Reading:

· National First-Class Museum of China