Beijing Ancient Coin Museum

　　Destination Introduction
　　In the middle of Beijing's East Second Ring Road stands a grand ancient building — the Deshengmen Arrow Tower — beneath which the Beijing Ancient Coin Museum is situated. It was opened to the public in October 1993.

　　　　The Deshengmen Arrow Tower was first built in the early years of the Zhengtong era during the Ming Dynasty. It was once one of the nine city defense structures of the Ming and Qing capital and has a history of over 500 years. The tower features gray walls and green tiles, standing 31.9 meters tall. It has a brick-and-wood structure with a front building and rear wing, consisting of four floors above ground and featuring 82 arrow windows. The beams, columns, brackets, and arches inside the tower are adorned with colorful paintings. The upper floor permanently exhibits the “Beijing City Gates and Walls Exhibition.”

　　　　The Ancient Coin Museum is housed in a reconstructed Qing Dynasty Zhenwu Temple. It displays the “Series of Chinese Historical Currencies,” where visitors can learn that ancient Chinese coins came in a wide variety of types and shapes, including knife-shaped, square, and round, and were made from materials such as gold, silver, copper, pottery, and paper. Each small coin embodies rich and profound cultural meanings, reflecting the social life and political changes of the time, and every change in the currency system invariably influenced the course of history.

　　　　Since its establishment, the Coin Museum has exhibited the earliest forms of currency such as cowrie shells, spade coins, and ghost-face coins, as well as copper coins from various dynasties, silver notes from the Qing Dynasty, and paper money from the Republic of China. In addition, the museum also hosts an ancient coin exchange market where visitors can buy, trade, and have coins appraised for authenticity and quality by experts.

　　　　The Beijing Ancient Coin Exhibition Hall consists of two parts: the Deshengmen Arrow Tower and the Zhenwu Temple. It is a thematic museum primarily dedicated to displaying coins, focusing on collection, exhibitions, and nationwide coin trading activities.

　　　　The museum has become a venue for coin enthusiasts to engage in research, collection, and trading, as well as a window for locals to learn about coin knowledge and participate in coin collecting activities.

　　　　Location: Located on East Second Ring Middle Road, Beijing

　　 Beijing Xicheng District

　　(No images available at the moment. Contributions are welcome.)