Dinosaur Dream Island Theme Park

　　Dinosaur Dream Island Theme Park is a large-scale science and technology-themed park jointly hosted by the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Beijing Hezhong Jiahua Cultural Media Co., Ltd. The theme park opened to the public on July 1, 2010, in the core area of the Olympic Park.

　　In recent 20 years, news of numerous precious paleontological fossil discoveries has continuously emerged across the country, especially those related to dinosaurs, which have attracted exceptional public attention and discussion. In recent years, many provinces and regions in China have begun to establish museums of paleontology and dinosaurs to enrich the cultural and recreational lives of citizens.

　　Many of these have become local specialty tourism attractions, such as Changzhou Dinosaur Park and Lufeng Dinosaur Valley.

　　Looking at both international and domestic successful paleontological-themed science communication centers, permanent venues and temporary amusement facilities are the two most common approaches. Domestic paleontological science communication mostly adopts the permanent venue model, which is limited by fixed geographical locations and surrounding environments, often affecting the entertainment and interactivity of exhibits and resulting in a narrower reach.

　　The temporary amusement approach is similar to the Disney model, offering more diverse formats with significantly enhanced entertainment and interactivity. Moreover, the temporary model is highly mobile and can influence a broader audience. However, this method requires substantial financial investment from governments or enterprises, and thus there has been no successful precedent of this approach in China.

　　As a professional academic institution dedicated to the research of vertebrate and human evolution, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, is not only an authoritative research body in this field both domestically and internationally but also operates a public science education venue — the China Museum of Paleontology.

　　It has long been exploring how to convey profound paleontological knowledge to the general public in the most effective and vivid ways. After researching and inspecting dinosaur-themed parks both in China and abroad, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology decided to be the first in China to take on this challenge: creating China’s first traveling paleontological theme park, and found a capable partner to realize this dream — Hezhong Jiahua Cultural Media Co., Ltd.

　　Relying on the institute’s 80-year fossil collection and strong research team, Hezhong Jiahua Cultural Media Co., Ltd. leveraged its unique creative concepts, extensive organizational planning experience, and professional operations team. It introduced the concept of large-scale theme parks from overseas and co-hosted with the institute this national first — a large-scale paleontological theme park: “Dinosaur Dream Island.”

　　The Dinosaur Dream Island theme park features three major exhibition halls: “Back to the Jurassic,” “Glacial Relics,” and “Science Dream.” The “Back to the Jurassic” hall uses high-tech methods such as sound, light, and electricity to bring dinosaurs back to life, taking visitors on a journey through time back to the Jurassic era.

　　The “Glacial Relics” hall reconstructs the scene of a glacial age site, showcasing star fossils of the Ice Age such as saber-toothed tigers and mammoths for the first time, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the experience.

　　The “Science Dream” hall will display carefully selected precious fossil specimens from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology’s collection of 220,000 fossils, along with a professional fossil restoration area where researchers from the institute carry out fossil restoration work, giving visitors a close-up view of the scientific process of fossil repair.

　　The “Science Dream” hall will also feature uniquely rare, national treasure-level fossil specimens: the horse with the longest face, the world’s smallest dinosaur, the ghost fish long dreamed of by scientists, the graveyard of Mesozoic lizards, the feathered dinosaur, the mammal that ate dinosaurs, China’s first bird, and saber-tooth blades from millions of years ago.

　　These precious exhibits will appear together for the first time at the Dinosaur Dream Island paleontological theme park, making them highly worthwhile to see. Additionally, the “Science Dream” hall will launch the “Star of the Week” event, inviting an authoritative scholar each week to share fascinating stories behind the excavation and research of these national treasure-level fossil specimens.

　　The theme park has also specially created the Dreamland for Children, integrating entertainment and science education. In Dreamland, the “Dream Journey” mini train will take visitors through volcanoes and tropical rainforests, offering an adventure through ancient times. In the “Archaeological Mystery” area,

　　visitors can personally participate in a simulated fossil excavation area of nearly 300 square meters to search for a complete T. rex skeleton fossil, experiencing the thrill of scientific exploration.

　　The theme park also features a Fun 3D Cinema, which will screen two American sci-fi films never before shown to Chinese audiences during its opening period. The dazzling colors and lifelike images will immerse every visitor in the age of dinosaurs hundreds of millions of years ago.

　　To authentically recreate the environment of the dinosaur era, a 15-meter-high, 35-meter-long, and 5-meter-wide Asian-largest mechanical dinosaur will be set up at the park entrance as a landmark feature. The park’s scene design is also ingenious, with a nearly 10-meter-tall volcano landscape standing in the core area of the park.

　　The exhibition area also provides valuable evidence and clues about the extinction of dinosaurs for visitors to explore. Not far from the volcano is a tropical rainforest landscape area covering approximately 1,000 square meters, where the misting system offers a cool respite for visitors in the summer heat.

　　Dinosaur Dream Island allows people to engage in entertainment and interactive science education within a large-scale theme park, delivering an unprecedented edutainment experience. At the same time, visitors learn about the ancient lifeforms that once inhabited Earth, naturally fostering a sense of environmental awareness and species conservation.

　　This summer, let us escape the hustle and bustle of the city, immerse ourselves in a park of science, unleash our curiosity, experience a time-traveling dinosaur storm, and embark on an exhilarating journey of exploration.

　　Transportation

　　Park Address: 300 meters north of the Bird’s Nest, 150 meters south of the China Science and Technology Museum (west of the intersection of Beichen East Road and Datun Road)

　　Opening Hours: 9:00 – 20:00 (21:00 on Saturdays and Sundays)

　　In this scorching summer, let’s escape the hustle and bustle of the city and dive into a wonderland of science. Unleash your curiosity, experience a thrilling storm of dinosaurs across time and space, and embark on an exhilarating journey of exploration and dreams.

　　Transportation

　　Location: 300 meters north of the Bird’s Nest, 150 meters south of the China Science and Technology Museum (west side of the intersection of Beichen East Road and Datun Road)

　　Opening hours: 9:00 – 20:00 (until 21:00 on weekends)

　　Transportation: South Garden South Gate: Get off at Forest Park Station on Subway Olympic Branch Line; South Garden East Gate: Take Bus Rapid Transit Line 3 and get off at Yangshanqiao South Station; North Garden East Gate: Take Bus Rapid Transit Line 3 and get off at Yangshanqiao North Station