Nanjing Geological Museum

Nanjing Geological Museum

The Nanjing Geological Museum is recognized as a base for science education.

The Nanjing Geological Museum is one of China's oldest natural science museums and also the country's first specialized museum focused on geology and mineral resources. Located at No. 700 Zhujiang Road in Nanjing, after more than half a century of development, the Nanjing Geological Museum has now become a comprehensive exhibition hall covering various fields of earth sciences. It is renowned both domestically and internationally for its long history and rich collections.

The Nanjing Geological Museum consists of an old building (renovated and completed) and a new building (under construction). The old building is a red three-story structure with German architectural style, covering an area of approximately 2,500 square meters. It displays over 10,000 specimens and includes four exhibition halls: "Cradle of Earth Sciences," "Chinese Stone Culture," "Mineral Resources," and "Geological Environment." The "Cradle of Earth Sciences" hall includes sections on ancient Chinese geological thought, the development of modern geoscience in China, the former Central Geological Survey and other geological institutions, and profiles of academicians in earth sciences. The "Chinese Stone Culture" hall features aspects such as gem and jade culture, scholar’s rock culture, and ornamental stone culture. The "Mineral Resources" hall is divided into sections on global mineral resources, China's mineral resources, Jiangsu Province's mineral resources, ancient Chinese mining techniques, and the development and utilization of mineral resources. The "Geological Environment" hall covers major geological disasters in China, primary geological hazards in Jiangsu, prevention and mitigation of geological disasters, and geological heritage.

As the first natural science museum in China to open to the public free of charge, the Nanjing Geological Museum receives over 200,000 domestic and international visitors annually. The museum is currently among the first national and provincial-level bases for science education, an extracurricular science and technology education base for Nanjing primary and secondary schools, and a designated international tourism site in Jiangsu Province. In 2002, it was named a “Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit” by Jiangsu Province.

Once the expansion is complete, the Nanjing Geological Museum will form a relatively comprehensive and top-tier geological museum exhibition system consisting of the old and new buildings. It will cover topics such as the history of modern geological development in China, the origin of the Earth and life, appreciation of rocks and minerals, promotion of mineral resource knowledge and environmental protection, as well as reconstructions of the dinosaur world. This will create a vivid, educational, and scientifically informative comprehensive earth science museum.

The Nanjing Geological Museum is aimed at the general public, especially young people. With earth science knowledge as its foundation and science popularization as its mission, it seeks to promote scientific methods and the spirit of science, while also supporting earth science research. It serves as a museum that integrates earth science education and research, and will present itself to the world with a new look that is scientific, educational, visually engaging, and entertaining.

Address: No. 700 Zhujiang Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing

Type: Museum

Recommended visiting time: About 2 hours

Phone: 025-84811559

Opening Hours:

Wednesday to Friday: 9:30–16:30; Saturday and Sunday: 9:00–16:30; Closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Ticket Information:

Free admission.

Further Reading:

· National Second-Class Museum of China