Wuzhifeng Astronomy Science Park

Wuzhifeng Astronomy Science Park

Introduction The Wuzhifeng Astronomy Science Park is located by Chaque Lake at an altitude of 1,000 meters in the picturesque Yinzhan Mountain Tourist Resort in Meixian, Guangdong. The park consists of four main sections: astronomical landscapes, an astronomy exhibition center, a planetarium, an observatory, and an astronomical presentation hall. The park features venues dedicated to youth science and technology education activities, covering a construction area of over 6,000 square meters. Themed "The Universe and Humanity," the astronomy science park interprets astronomy—from its ancient origins to its vibrant modern presence—a subject both mysterious and deeply intertwined with humanity—from fresh perspectives of science, aesthetics, humanities, and art.

The outdoor landscape area features the Yin-Yang Taiji diagram, Five Elements pillars, a Roman gate tower, a bas-relief of the Zodiac, and large-scale murals (such as the Birth of the Universe, Birth of the Solar System, Astronomical Mythology, and Five Thousand Years of Celestial Observation and Timekeeping). There is also a 70-meter-long “Life Evolution” water channel that showcases the 4-billion-year evolutionary history of life on Earth.

The Astronomy Exhibition Center includes the Preface Hall, Ancient Astronomy Hall, Celestial World Hall, Universe and Life Hall, and Cosmic Call Hall. The Preface Hall uses diagrams and physical exhibits to introduce the history of astronomy, its relationship with philosophy, traditional culture, Buddhism, Taoism, art and culture, and national economic development. The Ancient Astronomy Hall displays precious ancient Chinese instruments, exhibits, and plates used for celestial observation and timekeeping, showcasing the glorious history of ancient Chinese astronomy—alongside the global development of astronomy. A specially designed section, the “Song Dynasty Water-Powered Armillary Sphere Hall,” features the world’s first reconstructed water-driven ancient astronomical clock—the Water-Powered Armillary Sphere. The Celestial World Hall presents the cosmic panorama of the solar system, Milky Way, and extragalactic systems through plates and various audiovisual and electronic models. The Universe and Life Hall explores the interconnections among the universe, Earth, and life under the theme “The Universe and Humanity,” focusing especially on the relationships between solar activity and Earth’s geomagnetic field, ionospheric atmospheric environment, climate, earthquakes, and life, as well as the potential threats posed by near-Earth celestial objects. The Cosmic Call Hall displays models such as the Shenzhou spacecraft, a Mars sandbox, astronauts, and exquisite images, showcasing humanity’s cosmic vision and the achievements of space exploration over the past half-century, aiming to inspire visitors’ curiosity for discovery.

The exhibition hall houses a Foucault pendulum demonstrating Earth's rotation, treasures of ancient Chinese astronomical instruments—the armillary sphere and the simplified instrument—as well as a giant panoramic image of the solar system, a model of the Long March 3 high-thrust rocket and its launch pad, fiber-optic dynamic star maps, a series of astronomy stamps, and a series of world-famous paintings related to astronomy. The lecture hall regularly hosts science popularization talks and lectures and accommodates 60 people with complete facilities. The observatory includes the Celestial Dome Observation Room, Terrestrial Observation Room, and Solar Observation Room. The Celestial Dome Observation Room, with a 7-meter-diameter dome, houses a 21-centimeter aperture equatorial refracting telescope capable of visual observation, photographic observation, and CCD observation. It can be used to observe the moon, planets, asteroids, comets, meteors, nebulae, star clusters, and variable stars. The Terrestrial Observation Room has a 7-meter-diameter dome and a 40-centimeter aperture intelligent catadioptric telescope. The Solar Observation Room features a 30-centimeter aperture solar telescope that projects a solar image into the room, displaying a 1-meter-wide white-light solar image. Visitors can directly observe sunspot movements and changes, as well as broadband solar spectra and the mysterious solar chromosphere.

The Planetarium’s dome has a diameter of 12 meters and can accommodate 80–100 people. Equipped with a star projector that simulates the night sky, along with a high-tech intelligent control system and auxiliary projection equipment, it screens various astronomical programs such as "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter," "Starry Star World," and "The Moon." Visitors can learn about celestial diurnal motion, recognize seasonal constellations, and gain astronomical knowledge through lifelike starry sky performances.

The outdoor landscapes, environment, and exhibition content of the science park are scientific, educational, and entertaining. Visitors can grasp the long journey of humanity’s understanding of the universe over the past five thousand years in a short time, explore the infinite mysteries of the vast cosmos, and share in the latest achievements and joys of modern space exploration.

Meizhou City, Guangdong Province