History Museum of the First Surveying and Mapping Brigade of the General Staff

History Museum of the First Surveying and Mapping Brigade of the General Staff

The History Museum of the First Surveying and Mapping Brigade of the General Staff is a patriotic education base.

The History Museum of the First Surveying and Mapping Brigade of the General Staff was established in 1989 and is situated by Zhongshan Road, next to Zhongshan Park. Its exhibits draw from the history of the former First Surveying and Mapping Brigade of the General Staff. The brigade’s history traces back to January 1954 and it is the only high-tech strategic support unit in the entire military specializing in high-precision field surveying and mapping under challenging and dangerous conditions. It was once awarded the honorary title of “Heroic Surveying and Mapping Brigade” by the Central Military Commission, and Marshal Xu Xiangqian praised its officers and soldiers as “the elite vanguard who surveyed the skies and measured the land for modernization.” The museum has received thousands of visitors over the years, including personnel from fellow military units, government agencies, and primary and secondary schools. The content of the brigade history museum is divided into seven sections: “Imprints on the Land,” “The Song of Pioneering,” “The Path of Ascent,” “The Light of Honor,” “The Voice of Progress,” “The Soul of Heroes,” and “The Essentials of Development.” Through detailed texts, precious photographs, vivid stories, and powerful imagery, it comprehensively showcases the presence, sweat, and sacrifices of the brigade’s officers and soldiers over more than 60 years. These include their contributions to major national and military projects such as the construction of the National Astronomical Geodetic Network and the 1956 Yellow Sea Vertical Datum, China’s first gravity measurements on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and joint measurements of Mount Everest, the establishment of the first long-distance high-precision calibration field, the country’s first atomic and hydrogen bombs, the first artificial Earth satellite and geostationary communication satellite, the first long-distance subway and expressway, and the first electron-positron collider laboratory. The museum records the remarkable achievements of these soldiers in serving the motherland, the people, the military, and the field of surveying and navigation. It also highlights their lofty political responsibility of “dedicating themselves to the motherland, benefiting the people, and bringing honor to the military,” as well as the “Heroic Surveying and Mapping Brigade” spirit of “exceptional endurance, exceptional combat capability, and exceptional ability to accomplish urgent tasks.” It passionately celebrates the military spirit, purpose, and ethos of the People’s Liberation Army.

The brigade history museum is a national model unit for jointly promoting socialist spiritual civilization between the military and civilians, and a model unit for supporting the government and cherishing the people. In 1997, it was designated by the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government as a Tianjin Patriotic Education Base.

Address of the History Museum of the First Surveying and Mapping Brigade of the General Staff: No. 129-1, Zhongshan Road, Hebei District. Open to the public free of charge from Monday to Friday (advance reservation required). Contact number: 846840280