China Geological Museum

The Geological Museum of China in Beijing is regarded as the oldest natural sciences museum in China; its roots reach back to 1916, when the Geological Survey of the young republic set up a first teaching collection. The present main building in Xisi Yangrou Hutong in Xicheng district was opened in 1959 for the tenth anniversary of the People's Republic. The collection covers more than 200,000 specimens, including a cast skeleton of Mamenchisaurus, one of the largest diamonds ever found in China and a comprehensive collection of Chinese minerals and fossils. A particular highlight is the human evolution gallery with original Peking Man finds from Zhoukoudian. A traditional museum without digital effects, but full of real specimens from China's geological research.