Collection of over 370000 items! What does the National Museum of Nature look like? Let's take a look together → World | Natural History Museum | Collection

Recently, the National Museum of Nature was unveiled in Beijing

Showcasing harmonious coexistence between humans and nature

Figure ①: Restored upstream Yongchuan keel frame. Figure 2: Fossils of Chinese Jurassic animals. Figures ① and ② provided by the National Museum of Nature

Photo 3: at the exhibition of fine works in the National Museum of nature, a small audience is shooting exhibits with a small camera. Photo by Wei Yao

Figure 4: Outdoor view of the National Museum of Nature. Lu Jinfu Photography

Figure ⑤: Exhibition of edible plants in the "Plant World" of the National Museum of Nature. Provided by the National Museum of Nature

Figure ⑥: The audience is watching the exhibits at the National Museum of Nature's Collection Exhibition. Photo by Peng Chen

Figure ⑦: Animal life scenes displayed in the National Museum of Nature. Provided by the National Museum of Nature

The predecessor of the National Museum of Nature can be traced back to the Preparatory Office of the Central Museum of Nature established in 1951, and was named the Beijing Museum of Nature in 1962. In January 2023, with the approval of the Central Compilation Office, it was agreed to rename it as the National Museum of Nature. It is the first large-scale natural history museum established by the People's Republic of China through its own efforts. It is one of the first national first-class museums, mainly engaged in specimen collection, scientific research, and scientific popularization in the fields of paleontology, animals, plants, and anthropology in the earth and life sciences.

The National Museum of Nature will establish a new mission positioning, representing the country in protecting, researching, collecting, interpreting, and showcasing natural objects as well as natural heritage with historical, scientific, and artistic value in the process of human social development, and promote the construction of the new museum with high quality.

On June 5th, the National Museum of Nature was unveiled in Beijing, marking a new chapter in the development of China's natural museums.

The National Natural History Museum currently has a collection of over 370000 pieces, with the largest number of rare specimens among domestic natural history museums. This includes the discovery of the world's earliest placental mammal, the Chinese Jurassic mammal fossil, the only well preserved skull fossil of the Yellow River elephant, and many precious national ritual specimens.

From every plant and tree to the universe and stars, from ancient stone tools to genetic coding, every exhibition hall of the National Museum of Nature is a life epic about evolution. Here, people can learn about the vicissitudes of the universe and the earth, appreciate the unique scenery of nature, and explore the infinite mysteries of the world of life.

A black and white photo

Returning to the old days of preparing for building a museum

On the day of its unveiling, the National Museum of Natural History's collection of exquisite exhibits showcased the collection of outstanding talents, carrying forward the past and opening up the future. The exhibition is divided into four units: "Artifacts of the Coral Chain, Inheriting the Tradition", "Forge Ahead, with a Long Way to Go", "Innovate the Past, Learn from the Past", and "Never Forget the Original Aspiration, Carry on the Past and Open up the Future". More than 100 rare specimens of animals, plants, paleontology, rocks, and minerals from both domestic and foreign sources are selected in the museum's collection, vividly showcasing the development process and outstanding achievements of the National Museum of Nature.

Entering the Sunshine Hall on the first floor, the exhibition begins with a black and white old photo that takes us back to the time when New China relied on its own efforts to build a large natural history museum. The photo records the first meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the Central Museum of Nature.

In April 1951, the Preparatory Office of the Central Museum of Nature was established. On January 1, 1959, the Central Museum of Nature officially opened to the public, with the first batch of exhibition rooms for animals and paleontology. Three years later, the Central Museum of Nature was renamed as the Beijing Museum of Nature.

It is worth mentioning that at the beginning of its establishment, the older generation of scientists at the Natural History Museum advocated that museum researchers should conduct scientific investigations, resource surveys, and sample collection in various parts of the country. While committed to promoting museum research work, they also provided rich materials for scientific popularization work such as exhibitions and science education activities. Since 1965, the Natural History Museum has carried out three scientific expeditions to the the Xisha Islands, and collected a large number of specimens. The specimens on display this time, such as the spotted clam and the spotted whelk, are part of the results of that year's work.

A Yellow River ancient elephant

Encountering magical animals in books

"In the Paleontology Hall of the Beijing Natural History Museum, there is a display of the skeleton of an elephant, which is the fossil of the ancient Yellow River elephant skeleton." In a version of a primary school Chinese textbook, the story of the excavation of the "Yellow River elephant" is recorded, which is the first sentence of the opening. The image of the Yellow River elephant has long been deeply ingrained in people's hearts. Generation after generation of teenagers are reading its stories, wanting to go to museums to see its majesty and imagine the natural world 2 million years ago.

How was this well-known ancient elephant fossil discovered?

Entering the National Museum of Natural History Collection Exhibition, one can learn about its origins by watching pictures and videos: In the spring of 1973, several farmers in Gansu Province were digging sand by the riverbed when they suddenly discovered a section of pure white ivory in the sand. They immediately reported to their superiors. Later, excavation was carried out under the command of archaeologists. All the fossils have been exposed, and people can clearly see that it is the skeleton of an elephant. It stands diagonally in the sand, with its feet on a piece of gravel. The elephant skeleton is about 8 meters long, 4 meters high, and its front teeth are 3 meters long. It is the largest and most well preserved saber toothed elephant fossil discovered so far. It is known as the "Yellow River Ancient Elephant" due to its discovery location in the Yellow River Basin. Based on its skeletal characteristics, it is inferred that it is an aging male elephant that lived 2 million years ago. In 1974, the Yellow River Elephant made its debut at the then Beijing Natural History Museum. Standing in front of the skeleton, people seemed to be able to see an elephant running forward with its head held high. Nowadays, the skull fossils of the "Yellow River Elephant" are still displayed in the exhibition hall, with only one skull fossil weighing 1 ton, placed in a custom-made steel frame structure display cabinet.

In addition to the skull fossil of the Yellow River elephant, there are also many exquisite, rare, and significant specimens in this exhibition.

The first specimen in the collection is a Pu tree specimen collected and made by Academician Qin Renchang, the founder of fern botany in China, on May 22, 1928 in Guangxi.

The earliest bird specimen in the museum's collection was the Crow Blue Crow specimen collected on November 4, 1879 in Lake George, New York, USA. After more than 100 years, its expression remains lifelike.

Three rock specimens that witnessed the history of mountaineering were collected by members of the Chinese mountaineering team in 1960 when they completed the first feat in human history of climbing Mount Everest from the north slope.

The exhibits also include some biological gift specimens gifted by friends from around the world, such as Ulva, Sea Coconut, Red Green Macaw, etc., all of which will be presented to the audience in this exhibition.

A journey of discovery

Understand the panoramic view of life evolution and development

We may have all been curious about this question: Who are we? Where do we come from?

The "Origin of Man" exhibition at the National Natural History Museum starts with the two issues we are concerned about, using various methods such as drawing boards, specimens, multimedia, landscape, projection, and phantom imaging to guide the audience to understand their "self", while also allowing them to see some precious ancient human fossils. The exhibition displays over a hundred models and specimen exhibits, each containing rich information on human evolution. It is precisely they that have taught us about the evolution from the most primitive hominid animals to modern humans, roughly going through five stages: the Earth Ape Group, the Southern Ape Group, the Homo sapiens Group, the Homo erectus Group, and the Fossil Homo sapiens Group.

The basic exhibition of the National Museum of Nature focuses on biological evolution, with 11 permanent exhibitions including ancient reptiles, ancient mammals, magical Africa, and the origin of humans. It showcases biodiversity and the close relationship between organisms and the environment, constructing a panoramic view of the evolution and development of life on Earth.

The Xushi Lufeng dragon, known as the "number one dragon in China", the Jingyan Mamenxi dragon with a body length of 26 meters, and the Tuojiang dragon with sword plates on its back... Walking into the ancient reptile hall, it feels like entering the world of dinosaurs.

The exhibition "The Prosperity of Invertebrates" focuses on major events in the history of biological development, such as the "Origin of Life" and the "Cambrian Explosion". In addition to showcasing a large number of exquisite fossils of Paleozoic animals, the exhibition uses a lot of high-tech sound and light technology to recreate the ancient world billions of years ago: multimedia animations tell the formation of fossils, interactive exhibition items demonstrate how layered rocks "produce" the oxygen that Earth's organisms rely on for survival... The audience feels like they are in the ocean 460 million years ago, and can intuitively feel the magic of ancient organisms.

The "Plant World" exhibits over 1200 plant fossils and various modern plant specimens, divided into three parts: "Plant Evolution", "The Prosperity and Adaptation of Angiosperms", and "Plants and Humans", showcasing the continuous evolution process from lower plants to higher plants, as well as the important position and role of plants in human production and life.

"We continuously enrich the exhibition content and enhance the viewing experience by combining new advances in scientific research," said Miao Yuyan, Director of the Exhibition Planning Department of the National Museum of Nature. The new building of the National Natural History Museum, which is under construction, has a total area of approximately 200000 square meters and is divided into exhibition and exhibition areas, public service areas, and collection areas. It will focus on showcasing geological, paleontological, human, animal, plant, marine and other content.

Extended Reading

National Museum of Nature Brand Science Popularization Activities

The National Museum of Nature has created numerous science popularization activities, including museum nights, experimental music, small guides, and field scientific investigations.

Little tour guide: Invite young audiences aged 7-14 to experience the profession of "museum tour guide". After training, they will give lectures in real-life situations in museums, thereby learning natural science knowledge, improving their expression ability, and public service awareness.

Museum Night: Since 2005, the museum has been open to the public for one week during the summer vacation, from 19:00 to 21:00, and conducts science education activities such as expert lectures and face-to-face meetings with scientists around the annual theme, allowing more people to enter the museum and learn about the achievements of human civilization.

Natural Observer: The museum organizes natural observation activities and notes for children aged 10-14 around themes such as animals, plants, and paleontology, encouraging them to get close to and explore nature.

Travel Tips

The National Museum of Nature is located at 126 Tianqiao South Street, Beijing, and is open to the public for free. It is open from 9:00 to 17:00 every day and is closed on Mondays.

Individual visitors need to make an appointment on the official website of the National Museum of Natural History or WeChat official account 1-3 days in advance, updated at 11:00 every day, and divided into the following two booking periods: 9:00-13:00, 13:00-16:00. Viewers are required to enter the museum with the identification documents used during the reservation.