China Agricultural Museum

　　The China Agricultural Museum is located on East Third Ring North Road in Chaoyang District, Beijing. It shares the same entity as the National Agricultural Exhibition Center under two different names and is affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China. Approved by the State Council in July 1983, it was opened to the public on September 13, 1986, receiving domestic and international visitors.

　　The building complex of the China Agricultural Museum is part of the National Agricultural Exhibition Center, which was constructed in 1959. The location, overall layout, and architectural style of the National Agricultural Exhibition Center were personally reviewed by then-Premier of the State Council—Comrade [name redacted], as a project to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the founding of New China. It was completed and put into use before the National Day in 1959, and was listed as one of Beijing’s "Ten Great Buildings" of the 1950s. It is the only large-scale garden-style exhibition hall in China.

　　Exhibition Area and Building Environment

　　The China Agricultural Museum (National Agricultural Exhibition Center) covers an area of 430,000 square meters, with a building area of 124,000 square meters. It consists of a complex of ten individual exhibition halls featuring ethnic architectural styles, as well as supporting facilities such as a comprehensive building, collection storage, and cultural product spaces. Hall 1 is located along the main axis at the front of the site, while Halls 2 and 3 are arranged on the north and south sides respectively, in a single row. Halls 4 and 5, as well as Halls 6 and 7, are symmetrically placed on either side. Halls 8, 9, and 10 are located at the rear of the southern part of the site, arranged in a "品" (Chinese character for "item") formation. The ten halls form a cohesive, majestic, and spectacular complex. Behind Halls 1, 2, and 3, three lakes are interconnected, covering a water surface area of 41,000 square meters. The lakes feature rippling blue waters with fish and ducks playing, while the surrounding areas are filled with fragrant flowers, weeping willows, and lush greenery. The halls are connected by corridors, square pavilions, or colonnades, with various plants and trees planted along the sides. The entire site is surrounded by verdant pines, cypresses, willows, and ginkgo trees, with colorful flowers and shaded groves everywhere, as well as winding corridors, pavilions, green tiles, and red eaves. The traditional ethnic architectural complex harmonizes beautifully with the greenery, lake reflections, and scenery, creating a delightful environment.

　　Indoor Exhibits and Outdoor Gardens

　　The China Agricultural Museum officially opened in September 1986. Three permanent exhibitions—"Ancient Chinese Agricultural Science and Technology," "Agricultural Natural Resources Zoning," and "China’s Aquatic Products"—each have their own unique features. In 1991, the "China Energy Hall" opened and the "Herb Garden" was completed, bringing the museum's exhibition area to nearly 10,000 square meters. This includes four permanent exhibitions and outdoor gardens: "Agricultural History," "Resources," "Aquatic Products," "Energy," and the "Herb Garden," initially realizing a combination of indoor and outdoor spaces, exhibitions and tours, as well as agricultural resources and history. Later, important exhibitions such as the Chinese Modern Agricultural Science and Technology Exhibition, Traditional Farming Tools Exhibition, Soil Specimen Exhibition, Aquatic Animal Exhibition, and Terrestrial Animal Exhibition were successively launched. In 2006, the state invested nearly 300 million yuan to renovate the museum’s buildings, grounds, and exhibits. This renovation, expansion, and redesign of the core exhibitions took over three years. During this period, the Chinese Farmers' Art Exhibition and the Chinese Agriculture, Rural Areas, and Farmers Photo Exhibition were held in July 2008 and from June to September 2009, respectively. In September 2009, the new exhibitions of the China Agricultural Museum reopened to the public.

　　The current exhibition system of the China Agricultural Museum consists of three parts: permanent exhibitions, thematic exhibitions, and outdoor gardens. The indoor exhibition area is 6,600 square meters, and the outdoor garden area exceeds 10,000 square meters. Among them, the permanent exhibition is "The Exhibition of Chinese Agricultural Civilization," displayed in Hall 2 and Hall 4, covering an area of about 4,850 square meters. Thematic exhibitions include "Ancient Agriculture in Colored Pottery," "Traditional Chinese Farming Tools," "Chinese Soil Specimens," and "Youth Agricultural Science Museum," displayed in Hall 10, Hall 9, Hall 8, and Hall 7 respectively, with exhibition spaces of 300 square meters, 400 square meters, 400 square meters, and 650 square meters respectively. The outdoor gardens consist of an Ancient Traditional Farming Garden and a Modern Scientific Farming Garden.

　　Source: Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development