China Beacon Exhibition Hall

China Beacon Exhibition Hall

The China Beacon Exhibition Hall serves as a science education base.

The China Beacon Exhibition Hall is located on the southern side of the scenic Dongshan Park in Qinhuangdao City, adjacent to the Site of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Quest for Immortality and Sea Voyage. It covers a total construction area of 1,809.22 square meters, including an exhibition area of 949.9 square meters and auxiliary rooms of 859.32 square meters. The hall was officially opened to the public on June 18, 2000. The exhibition space is spread across three floors, while the auxiliary rooms have five floors. The venue includes five indoor exhibition areas and one outdoor exhibition area: the first area is the comprehensive exhibition zone; the second is the visual aids to navigation exhibition zone; the third is the auditory aids to navigation exhibition zone; the fourth is the beacon vessel exhibition zone; and the fifth is the radio aids to navigation exhibition zone. The outdoor exhibition area displays larger-scale beacon equipment, featuring precious large items such as fog bells, fog horns, fog guns, and lighthouse lanterns. The first exhibition area is on the first floor of the exhibition hall; the second and third areas are on the second floor; the fourth and fifth areas are on the third floor. The outdoor exhibition area is located within the courtyard of the Beacon Exhibition Hall. The building has a distinctive shape that highlights its unique beacon identity.

As the only professional beacon exhibition hall in China and one of the few national-level beacon exhibition venues in the world, the China Beacon Exhibition Hall encapsulates the development history of China's beacons over thousands of years and fully showcases the pioneering spirit of hard work demonstrated by beacon personnel. To further promote China’s maritime culture and history and to uphold the spirit of beacons, the Ministry of Transport renovated and reorganized the exhibition in 2007. The upgraded China Beacon Exhibition Hall has received strong recognition from visiting leaders at all levels and attracted widespread attention from all sectors of society.

Beacons are among the most fundamental aids to navigation that ensure waterway traffic safety. They play a vital role in developing waterborne transportation, supporting marine development, fishing activities, national defense construction, and safeguarding national sovereignty.

China has a long and rich history of navigational aids. As early as over four thousand years ago, with the rise of waterborne transport, the prototypes of beacons began to appear. Today, after a long journey of rise and decline, China's beacons have evolved from natural and manually placed markers to highly automated navigational aids. At present, China has installed more than 40,000 various types of beacons, forming a comprehensive aids-to-navigation system that incorporates multiple methods. The development of beacons not only provides reliable navigational support for domestic and international vessels but also facilitates global trade and contributes significantly to the growth of China’s national economy.