China Ancient Animal Museum

China Ancient Animal Museum

The China Ancient Animal Museum serves as a base for science education and patriotic education.

The China Ancient Animal Museum is the only natural science-themed museum in China established by the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, dedicated to systematically popularizing knowledge of paleontology, paleoecology, paleoanthropology, and evolutionary theory through ancient biological fossils. It is also currently the largest paleontology museum in Asia. The museum is also recognized as a Beijing Youth Education Base by the Beijing Municipal People's Government, a Science Education Base by the Paleontological Society of China, as well as an Ideological Education Base for Central Government Agencies and a National Youth Science and Technology Education Base. In December 1995, after approval by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics, the China Ancient Animal Museum officially opened to the public.

The China Ancient Animal Museum is located next to the comprehensive office building of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at No. 142 Xizhimenwai Street in Beijing. Its main structure is a three-story cyan castle-like building shaped like a dinosaur, situated across the street from the Beijing Zoo, which displays living animals. With a construction area of approximately 3,400 square meters, it currently has about 2,200 square meters of indoor exhibition halls and around 2,000 square meters of outdoor paleontology plaza open to the public.

The indoor areas of the China Ancient Animal Museum are divided into two museums (the Vertebrate Paleontology Museum and the Shuhua Paleoanthropology Museum) and four exhibition halls (Ancient Fish and Amphibians Hall, Ancient Reptiles and Birds Hall, Ancient Mammals Hall, and Ancient Humans and Paleolithic Hall), along with a large East Hall special exhibition space. Relying on the institute’s collection of over 200,000 specimens accumulated over nearly a century, the museum displays more than 800 representative pieces selected from these collections. The exquisite quality and comprehensive variety of exhibits rank first in Asia and are the best in China. The displays include fossil specimens and Paleolithic tools and models from various geological strata ranging from the Silurian Period over 400 million years ago to the prehistoric era 10,000 years ago. These include agnathans, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, ancient human fossils, and Paleolithic artifacts, comprehensively showcasing the natural remains and traces of prehistoric animals and ancient humans, as well as the grand process of life evolution.

The Vertebrate Paleontology Museum of the China Ancient Animal Museum was established in October 1994 and opened to the public in December 1995. The museum consists of three floors with three exhibition halls. The first floor’s Ancient Fish and Amphibians Hall displays various agnathan, fish, and amphibian fossil specimens, including a coelacanth specimen known as a "living fossil" gifted by the government of the Comoros. This is a treasured piece in the museum’s collection and one of the best-preserved among the only five or six such specimens in China. In the center of the first floor is a massive "dinosaur exhibit pool" connected to the second floor, featuring skeletons of several representative large dinosaurs in China, including the Mamenchisaurus, the longest-necked and largest dinosaur in China—and the world—measuring 22 meters in length, with a neck over 9 meters long. The second floor’s Ancient Reptiles and Birds Hall displays precious specimens of various ancient reptiles such as dinosaurs, dinosaur eggs, pterosaurs, ichthyosaurs, crocodiles, and turtles, as well as ancient birds like Confuciusornis and Struthio anderssoni. Among them, the first exhibit in the "Dinosaur Corridor" on the south side of the second floor—the skeleton of the Lufengosaurus huenei, known as the "First Dragon of China"—is the earliest discovered dinosaur in China (from Yunnan, over 200 million years ago) and the first dinosaur to be mounted in China (mounted in Beibei, Chongqing, in 1941). Studied by Dr. Yang Zhongjian, founder of vertebrate paleontology in China, this specimen has become the museum’s prized treasure. In the northeast corner of the second floor, the museum has newly exhibited a feathered dinosaur fossil—Caudipteryx dongi—which is a world-class paleontological specimen retaining clear feather impressions. The discovery that dinosaurs had feathers, a recent finding by Chinese scholars, shocked the world; this specimen has been exhibited abroad multiple times, drawing great interest from scholars and audiences. The third floor’s Ancient Mammals Hall displays a variety of ancient mammal specimens and skeletons, including the majestic and towering skeleton of the Yellow River Elephant, which stands nearly 4 meters tall and was the largest land animal of its time. Featured in the fifth-grade Chinese textbook, visitors can see the real skeleton here.

Each floor of the Vertebrate Paleontology Museum features a giant tens-of-meters-long oil painting along the wall, respectively depicting “The Oceans and Lands of the Paleozoic Era,” “The Dinosaur World of the Mesozoic Era,” and “The Mammalian Homeland of the Cenozoic Era.” These showcase the unique ecological scenes and natural landscapes of ancient vertebrate groups from various geological periods in China.

The Shuhua Paleoanthropology Museum of the China Ancient Animal Museum was established and opened in 1999. Through the display of ancient human fossils, Paleolithic specimens, and models, it systematically introduces scientific knowledge about human origins and evolution, highlighting the theme of coexistence and mutual prosperity between humans and nature. The exhibits include the world-renowned Peking Man skull, various valuable ancient human fossil specimens and models gifted from abroad, as well as various stone and bone tools used by humans.

Outside the China Ancient Animal Museum is a paleontology plaza built in 2004. On the wide sidewalk of Xizhimenwai Street, three large dinosaur sculptures are nestled among blue skies, green trees, and lawns; along the winding paleontology pathway, exquisite paleontology carvings take visitors back to the distant prehistoric era.

In January 1998, the China Ancient Animal Museum founded the “Little Darwin Club,” which recruits and organizes primary and secondary school students interested in paleontology year-round to participate in science education activities such as field investigations, fossil excavations, screening and restoration, model making, and more. The museum specially invites experts from the institute to give science lectures. Through hands-on experience, students are inspired to think scientifically, understand the scientific process, and master scientific methods, achieving excellent educational outcomes.

Starting in 2003, the China Ancient Animal Museum gradually added exhibition content about the “Jehol Biota.” The Jehol Biota is hailed by international scholars as “the most astonishing paleontological discovery of the 20th century.” It includes feathered dinosaurs and various rare ancient bird fossils, as well as a large number of extinct and precious ancient species. From June to September 2004, the museum held a special exhibition titled “The Sky Rulers of the Mesozoic Era – The World’s First Pterosaur Embryo Special Exhibition,” highlighting the latest achievements in China’s pterosaur research. This pterosaur embryo fossil comes from the Jehol Biota and represents one of the many precious Jehol vertebrate fossils.

Starting in August 2004, the China Ancient Animal Museum specially invited graduate students from the institute to serve as guest guides. Every weekend and holiday, master’s or doctoral students in paleontology or paleoanthropology come to the museum to systematically explain the knowledge of biological evolution based on their own research experiences. During the “Golden Week” of the National Day holiday, the museum also organized a “Tyrannosaurus Rex Has Arrived” science activity, where the giant Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton model gifted by the Canadian government was displayed for the first time in the dinosaur exhibit pool after more than ten years in the collection. The museum also hosted a book signing event with paleontologists, featuring recently published high-quality paleontology popular science books such as “Mysteries of Evolution,” “The Journey of Prehistoric Life,” “The Disappeared Dinosaurs,” “The Jehol Biota,” “The Undying Dinosaurs,” and “Soaring in the Sky.”

In December 2004, the China Ancient Animal Museum, in collaboration with relevant technical departments, introduced computer multimedia systems into the museum for the first time. It successively developed four sets of educational and entertaining multimedia touch display systems introducing the evolution of dinosaurs and other ancient organisms, including “Fun Dinosaur Puzzles,” “The Magical World of Ancient Life,” and “Reviving Feathered Dinosaurs.” Visitors can operate the systems themselves to learn scientific knowledge, unifying science, interactivity, and entertainment.

In April 2005, the China Ancient Animal Museum opened a new East Hall special exhibition space, hosting the “Walking with Dragons” dinosaur special exhibition, showcasing 10 dinosaur skeletons from various parts of China that had traveled abroad multiple times but had never been seen by domestic audiences. On the “International Museum Day” and “Chinese Academy of Sciences Public Science Day” on May 18, the entire museum was opened to the public free of charge, achieving excellent social results. This special exhibition has since become a permanent display and has had its dinosaur specimens rotated multiple times, ensuring visitors can see new content every time.

On Children’s Day 2005, the museum offered free admission to all children and students and invited experts from the institute to host a “Dinosaur Storytelling Session,” narrating the stories of China’s dinosaurs and their research history, which was warmly welcomed by young visitors.

Starting in September 2005, the museum set up a special exhibition area on the first floor of the Vertebrate Paleontology Museum to host the “Jehol Biota – The Glory of Life Over 100 Million Years Ago” special exhibition. It systematically displayed fossils from the important Jehol Biota that caused a sensation worldwide and attracted numerous paleontologists and enthusiasts, including Microraptor—the world’s smallest carnivorous dinosaur with four wings; Confuciusornis—the earliest ancient bird with a beak; Repenomamus—a mammal that could eat dinosaurs; the world’s first pterosaur embryo; and the world’s best-preserved ancient bird embryo, among other world-class precious specimens.

Starting in October 2005, the museum created a DIY activity area where children can draw dinosaurs and make paleontological models in a bright and colorful environment. Various “Little Darwin Club” activities also gained a formal indoor venue.

In November 2005, the official website of the China Ancient Animal Museum (http://www.paleozoo.cn) was officially launched. The public can now learn about the evolution of ancient life and stay updated on the museum’s various science education activities through the website.

In April 2006, the museum launched the “Revival After 11 Million Years – The Diatom Rat and the Accompanying ‘Shanwang Biota’ Special Exhibition” based on the institute’s latest research findings. Visitors can experience this ancient biota that lived over 16 million years ago and explore the secrets of the Diatom Rat family’s evolution and “revival.” Among the beautifully displayed specimens are eight extremely precious holotype specimens, including the holotype of the only fossil snake in China—the Mesozoic snake Dinilysia.

In July 2006, the museum will launch the “Cambrian Explosion of Life – The Chengjiang Biota Special Exhibition,” telling the astonishing story that took place in the oceans of Yunnan, China, over 500 million years ago.

The China Ancient Animal Museum is currently the museum in China with the most diverse dinosaur displays. Of the more than 120 known dinosaur species in the country, over 30 are exhibited here. Additionally, the museum is the only one in China that develops and displays 3D animations of feathered dinosaurs. Therefore, we can proudly say: To see dinosaurs, visit the China Ancient Animal Museum！

The China Ancient Animal Museum will continue to introduce the mysteries and magnificent journey of life evolution to the public in a scientific and systematic manner and warmly welcomes your visit.

Admission

Admission: 16 RMB

Opening Hours

09:00~16:30

Last Admission: 16:00

Tips: The attraction is closed every Monday. If Monday is a public holiday, it remains open.

Location

No. 142, Xizhimenwai Street, Xicheng District, Beijing