Inner Mongolia Museum of Natural History sees surge in visitors

The Inner Mongolia Museum of Natural History in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region [Photo/nmgnews]

Since it began operating on Nov 10 last year, the number of visitors to the Inner Mongolia Museum of Natural History has been continuously increasing. It has received a total of over 350,000 visitors, and its daily record is 10,000 visitors.

Located in Saihan district, Hohhot, capital of Inner Mongolia autonomous region, the museum is the first of its kind in the region. Its collection of dinosaur fossils offers visitors a mysterious tour of natural history.

Wang Junyou, head of the museum, said that the Inner Mongolia Museum of Natural History covers an exhibition area of 48,759 square meters and its exhibits are divided into 13 categories, including geological and mineral resources, as well as paleontology.

The museum has five themed exhibition areas focusing on Inner Mongolia's environmental development, landscapes, natural resources, biological evolution, and dinosaur fossils, said Wang.

The museum has worked with local travel agencies to attract more visitors.

Fu Zhilian, manager of a local travel agency, said that the museum has been added to their tourist routes for foreigners and will be included in more tourist products.

In addition to helping visitors learn about Inner Mongolia, the museum also serves as an educational and science-learning platform for students throughout the area.

The museum has formed close relationships with local educational institutions and authorities with the goal of carrying out educational outreach programs in the region.

It has set up an exploration area where students can try their hands at making specimens and participate in a variety of other activities.

It has also extended cooperation with oversea universities, such as Slovak University, on research of vertebrate evolution and climate change.

According to Wang, Inner Mongolia Museum of Natural History has reached consensus with several museums throughout the country to organize featured exhibitions.

Regular museum hours are from 9:00 to 16:00. Admission is free to everyone.

For more information, please visit the museum's official website at http://immnh.org.cn/

Dinosaur fossils are on display at the Inner Mongolia Museum of Natural History. [Photo/nmgnews]