Ningxia Science and Technology Museum

Ningxia Science and Technology Museum

The Ningxia Science and Technology Museum is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a science education base.

The Ningxia Science and Technology Museum (Ningxia Youth Science and Technology Activity Center) was a key project developed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Located on West Renmin Square Street in Yinchuan, the museum cost approximately 250 million yuan to build, covers an area of 3.88 hectares, and has a construction area of 29,664 square meters. It consists of three main parts: the main exhibition hall, the IMAX dome theater, and the comprehensive building. The exterior of the museum is highly attractive, featuring a flowing glass dome shell that symbolizes the undulating Helan Mountain range and enriches the building's skyline. The dome theater’s spherical glass structure faces the curved exhibition hall, symbolizing the harmony of the sun and the moon, and is organically integrated beneath the large entrance structure. The main exhibition hall's façade features horizontal lines dividing the glass curtain wall, interspersed with stone walls that convey the strength of the architecture. The design firm was the China Aviation Planning and Design Institute, the delegated construction firm was the Ningxia Architectural Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd., the general contractor was China Construction First Building (Group) Corporation Limited Development Company, and the supervision firm was Yinchuan Fangyuan Supervision Co., Ltd.

The interior exhibitions of the museum were managed by the Ningxia Association for Science and Technology and the Ningxia Science and Technology Museum. The exhibition setup was undertaken by Shanghai Fudan Shangke Multimedia Co., Ltd. and Beijing Jiazhong Yuancheng Modeling Art and Technology Development Co., Ltd. The primary function of the museum is educational, with permanent exhibitions serving as the most representative form of this mission. These exhibitions aim to recreate real-world scientific environments for visitors, emphasizing interactive and experiential learning to guide them through the processes of exploration and discovery. Organized around the theme of “Nature · Science · Humanity,” the museum is divided across three floors and includes an introductory hall, Cosmic Exploration, Earth Home, Dive into the Ocean, Mysteries of Life, The Light of Science, Gateway to Wisdom, Science Sports Arena, Military World, Children’s Science Park, and an outdoor exhibition area. In total, there are 230 exhibits and interactive displays, along with over 1,500 mineral, animal, and paleontological specimens, which were produced by more than 30 different exhibitor units.

The museum features a dome theater (also functioning as a digital planetarium), with an inner diameter of 15 meters and seating for 105 people. It uses the most advanced digital dome theater equipment from the American company ES, whose computer database contains daily star map data from all over the world. The theater also offers popular science films. On the south side of the first floor is a 4D cinema, which accommodates 40 people. Visitors wear special glasses to watch 3D movies, and the motion-enabled seats offer three degrees of freedom—allowing for movements such as lifting, tilting forward and backward, swaying left and right, as well as effects like water sprays, air bursts, low-frequency vibrations, and leg ticklers—to enhance the immersive experience.

Supported by digital technology and relying on the internet and virtual technologies, the museum is connected to China Digital Science & Technology Museum, developed by the China Association for Science and Technology. It also incorporates digital science museum resources developed by other provinces (regions) and companies, supplementing them with local science education materials and films related to Ningxia. This integration allows the educational services of the Ningxia Science and Technology Museum to extend beyond the physical constraints of the building.

The construction of the museum began on November 27, 2005, and it was officially opened to the public on September 9, 2008. It has since become a hub for public science education in Ningxia and the surrounding areas, as well as a secondary classroom for resource-sharing in primary and secondary schools. It plays a significant role in improving scientific literacy among the general public and building an innovative Ningxia.

Address: West Renmin Square Street, Jinfeng District, Yinchuan

Type: Science Museum

Recommended Visit Duration: 2–3 hours

Phone: 0951-5085123

Official Website: http://www.nxkjg.com/

Opening Hours:

9:00–17:00, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays

Ticket Information:

Free admission. The main exhibition building is free to enter; special effect theaters charge 15 yuan.

Source: Ningxia Science and Technology Museum