China Paleozoological Museum

　　China Paleozoological Museum is the only museum in China established by the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, that uses paleontological fossils as a medium to systematically popularize knowledge of paleontology, paleoecology, paleoanthropology, and evolutionary theory. It is also the largest paleontological museum in Asia. The museum has been designated by the Beijing Municipal People's Government as a Beijing Youth Education Base, recognized by the Paleontological Society of China as a Science Education Base, and is also 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 Cultural Relics Bureau, China Paleozoological Museum officially opened to the public.

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

　　Inside the museum, exhibits are arranged into two halls (Vertebrate Paleontology Hall and Shuhua Paleoanthropology Hall) and four exhibition rooms (Ancient Fish and Ancient Amphibians Room, Ancient Reptiles and Ancient Birds Room, Ancient Mammals Room, Ancient Humans and Paleolithic Room) based on the evolutionary sequence of ancient animals, along with a large Special Exhibition Hall in the East Hall. Relying on the institute’s collection of over 200,000 specimens amassed over nearly a century, over 800 representative items have been selected for display. The exquisite quality and comprehensive variety of the exhibits rank first in Asia and are the best in China. On display are fossil specimens and Paleolithic tools and models from various strata ranging from the Silurian Period over 400 million years ago to the prehistoric era 10,000 years ago, including jawless vertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and ancient human fossils, as well as Paleolithic artifacts. These comprehensively showcase the natural remains and traces of prehistoric animals and ancient humans, as well as the magnificent process of life evolution.

　　The Vertebrate Paleontology Hall of China Paleozoological Museum was established in October 1994 and opened to the public in December 1995. The hall consists of three floors with three exhibition rooms. The first floor’s Ancient Fish and Ancient Amphibians Room displays various jawless vertebrate, fish, and amphibian fossil specimens, including a coelacanth specimen known as a "living fossil" gifted by the government of Comoros. This is one of the museum’s treasured collections and also one of the best-preserved among the only five or six such specimens in China. In the center of the first floor, there is a huge "dinosaur exhibit pool" connected to the second floor, showcasing the 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 Ancient Birds Room 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 fossil—is known as the "First Dragon of China." It is the earliest discovered dinosaur in China (from over 200 million years ago in Yunnan) and the first dinosaur to be mounted in China (mounted in Beibei, Chongqing in 1941). Studied by Yang Zhongjian, the 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 displayed a feathered dinosaur fossil—Caudipteryx dongi—a world-class paleontological fossil that retains clear traces of feathers. The discovery of feathered dinosaurs by Chinese scholars is the latest in paleontological findings and has shocked the world; the specimen has been exhibited abroad multiple times, drawing great interest from scholars and audiences. The third floor’s Ancient Mammals Room showcases a variety of ancient mammal specimens and skeletons, including the majestic giant skeleton of the Yellow River Elephant, which stands nearly 4 meters tall and was the tallest land animal of its time. It has been featured in the fifth-grade Chinese textbook and visitors can see the real thing here.

　　Each floor of the Vertebrate Paleontology Hall features a tens-of-meters-long giant oil painting on the wall, depicting three themes: "The Marine and Terrestrial Life of the Paleozoic Era," "The Dinosaur World of the Mesozoic Era," and "The Mammalian Homeland of the Cenozoic Era," showcasing the unique ecological features and natural landscapes of ancient vertebrate communities from various geological eras in China.

　　The Shuhua Paleoanthropology Hall of China Paleozoological Museum was completed and opened in 1999. Through the exhibition 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-famous Peking Man skull, various precious ancient human fossil specimens and models gifted from abroad, as well as stone and bone tools used by humans.

　　Outside the museum is the Paleontological Plaza, built in 2004. On the wide sidewalk of Xizhimenwai Street, three massive dinosaur sculptures are nestled among the blue sky, green trees, and grass; along the winding Paleontological Pathway, exquisitely carved paleontological illustrations take visitors back to the distant prehistoric era.

　　In January 1998, China Paleozoological Museum founded the "Little Darwin Club," which recruits and organizes primary and secondary school students interested in paleontology to participate in year-round science education activities such as field investigations, fossil excavation, screening and repair, and model making. Experts from the institute are specially invited to give science lectures. Through hands-on experience, students are inspired to develop scientific thinking, understand the scientific process, and master scientific methods, achieving excellent educational outcomes.

　　Starting in 2003, China Paleozoological Museum gradually increased its exhibitions introducing the "Jehol Biota." The Jehol Biota is referred to 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, precious ancient species. From June to September 2004, the museum held the special exhibition "Masters of the Mesozoic Skies—The World’s First Pterosaur Embryo Exhibition," highlighting the latest research results in Chinese pterosaur studies. This pterosaur embryo fossil comes from the Jehol Biota and is a representative of the many precious Jehol vertebrate fossils.

　　Starting in August 2004, China Paleozoological Museum specially invited graduate students from the institute to serve as guest guides. Every weekend and holiday, master's or doctoral students in paleontology and 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 the "Tyrannosaurus Rex Has Arrived" science activity, where the giant Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton model gifted by the Canadian government stood in the dinosaur exhibit pool for the first time after more than a decade in the museum's collection. A book signing event by paleontologists was also held, featuring recently published paleontological science books such as "The Mystery of Evolution," "The Journey of Prehistoric Life," "The Vanished Dinosaurs," "The Jehol Biota," "The Undying Dinosaurs," and "Soaring in the Sky."

　　In December 2004, China Paleozoological Museum collaborated with relevant technical departments to introduce a computer multimedia system into the museum for the first time. It subsequently developed four interactive and educational multimedia touch display systems introducing the evolution of dinosaurs and other ancient creatures, including "Fun Dinosaur Puzzles," "The Magical World of Ancient Life," and "Reviving Feathered Dinosaurs." Visitors can operate these systems themselves to learn scientific knowledge, unifying science, interactivity, and entertainment.

　　In April 2005, China Paleozoological Museum opened a new East Hall Special Exhibition Room, hosting the "Walking with Dinosaurs" dinosaur special exhibition, displaying ten dinosaur skeletons from various parts of China that had visited abroad multiple times but had never been seen by domestic audiences. On International Museum Day and the Chinese Academy of Sciences Public Science Day on May 18, the museum was open to the public free of charge, achieving excellent social results. This special exhibition has since been retained as a permanent display, with dinosaur specimens rotated regularly so that visitors can see something new each time they visit.

　　On Children’s Day in 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 Chinese dinosaurs and their research history, which was warmly welcomed by the young visitors.

　　Starting in September 2005, the museum set up a special exhibition area on the first floor of the Vertebrate Paleontology Hall to host the "Jehol Biota—The Brilliance of Life Over 100 Million Years Ago" special exhibition. It systematically displayed fossils from the globally sensational Jehol Biota that fascinated many 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 launched a DIY activity area where children can draw dinosaurs and make paleontological models in a bright and colorful environment. Various activities of the "Little Darwin Club" also gained an official indoor venue.

　　In November 2005, the official website of China Paleozoological Museum (http://www.paleozoo.cn) was officially launched, allowing the public to learn about the evolution of paleontology and stay updated on the museum’s various science education activities.

　　In April 2006, the museum launched the "Revival After 11 Million Years—The Diatom Rat and the Companion ‘Shanwang Biota’ Special Exhibition" based on the institute’s latest scientific research. Visitors can experience this ancient biota that lived over 16 million years ago and explore the secrets of the evolution and "revival" of the diatom rat family. Among the exquisite specimens on display, eight are extremely precious holotype specimens, including the holotype of the only fossil snake in China—the Sinomacrophalosaurus diatomensis.

　　In July 2006, the museum will launch the "Cambrian Explosion of Life—The Chengjiang Biota Special Exhibition," telling the astonishing story of marine life in Yunnan, China, over 500 million years ago.

　　China Paleozoological Museum is currently the museum in China with the most diverse dinosaur exhibits on display. Of the more than 120 known dinosaur species in China, over 30 are exhibited here. Additionally, it is the only museum in China that develops and displays 3D animations of feathered dinosaurs. Therefore, we can proudly say: To see dinosaurs, go to China Paleozoological Museum！

　　China Paleozoological Museum will continue to adhere to a scientific and systematic approach in introducing the mysteries and grandeur of life evolution to the public, and warmly welcomes your visit.