Tianjin Dagang Olympic Museum

Tianjin Dagang Olympic Museum

Tianjin Dagang Olympic Museum is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Tianjin Dagang Olympic Museum is one of the 12 members of the International Olympic Museums Network, an Olympic-themed museum approved by the International Olympic Committee, and an independent, international, non-profit public institution. The museum was planned, founded, and is personally directed by Mr. Wu Jingguo, an IOC member, President of the International Boxing Federation, renowned architecture expert, and convener of the Engineering Construction Group of the 2008 Coordination Commission over the course of many years.

Tianjin Dagang Olympic Museum aims to pass on Olympic culture and promote the Olympic spirit. Its main architectural design is inspired by the concept of the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. The exterior of the museum is simple and bright, and its glass corridor is particularly unique, connecting the three exhibition halls in a way that is the first of its kind in the world, representing an innovative architectural design. The museum has an open structure, with the main building divided into two levels. On the first floor, at the entrance, there are handwritten inscriptions from Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch, the late Honorary President of the IOC, and Mr. Jacques Rogge, the then President of the IOC, expressing their congratulations and high respect for Tianjin Dagang Olympic Museum and its founder, Mr. Wu Jingguo.

The first-floor lobby is a public area, featuring a coffee lounge, restaurant, dome theater, and China’s only specialty souvenir shop that sells merchandise themed around the Olympics and its history. The second floor consists of three exhibition halls: The Road of the Olympics, The Tree of the Olympics, and The Soul of the Olympics. These are designed to advocate and promote Olympic culture, and to showcase Olympic treasures, cultural relics, and memorabilia to the public, allowing visitors to learn more about the Olympics and get closer to its spirit.

The style of the exhibition halls is rich in Olympic cultural elements, with illustrations and the integration of high-tech electronic equipment. The museum displays a collection of Olympic treasures amassed by Mr. Wu Jingguo over decades, including handwritten manuscripts by Pierre de Coubertin and torches from past Olympic Games. A blend of historical facts, contemporary fashion, culture, and spirit, along with engaging and educational formats, allow the public to feel the passion and timelessness of the Olympics.

A Brief History of the Olympic Museum:

The Olympic Museum is a dream about museums. This dream had already spanned 99 years by June 23, 1993. The International Olympic Committee was founded on this very day, June 23, 1894. The essence of the Olympic Museum lies in the Olympic spirit—the perfect combination of sport, art, and culture. The purpose of establishing a modern Olympic Museum is to present Olympism to the world in a tangible and perfect form.

The idea of creating an Olympic Museum originated with Pierre de Coubertin, the reviver of the modern Olympic Movement. In 1915, after the IOC headquarters was established in Lausanne, Switzerland, he first proposed the idea of building an Olympic Museum. At the time, the Baron believed that the museum should not only house the cultural heritage of the newly revived Olympic Movement but also embody the ideals of the Olympic spirit.

The Olympic Spirit Comes Alive:

In 1980, when Juan Antonio Samaranch became President of the IOC, he made a significant decision to build a large, world-class Olympic Museum and Olympic Studies Centre in Lausanne, truly fulfilling Coubertin’s vision and promoting the Olympic spirit.

Samaranch’s goal was to make the museum a cultural center equipped with modern audiovisual and electronic display technologies, bringing Olympic history to life. Construction of the museum began in 1988, after the successful acquisition of a large plot of land. However, the purchased land was on a slope, offering a view over Lake Geneva in Ouchy.

On June 23, 1993, President Samaranch presided over the inauguration ceremony of the Olympic Museum. German figure skater Katarina Witt lit the flame in the cauldron on the square, and many local residents were also present to witness this historic moment.

President Samaranch’s efforts were recognized when the Olympic Museum was awarded the “European Museum of the Year Award” in 1995 by the Council of Europe. The museum has since become a major permanent attraction in Lausanne and has welcomed over 1.9 million visitors since its opening.

Address: No. 236 Museum Road, south side of Guanhu Lake, Dagang, Binhai New Area

Tel: 60469635