Chongqing - The Chongqing Natural Resources Science Museum opened to the public on March 13, showcasing an impressive collection of fossils and exhibits related to natural resources.
The museum has a total area of 5,000 square meters, with four key exhibition areas: the central exhibition hall, geological evolution exhibition hall, life evolution exhibition hall, and natural resources exhibition hall. It uses various exhibits such as graphics, large specimens, restored scenes, multimedia, interactive experience devices, etc., leading the public to explore the journey of nature and life.
When entering the museum, visitors see the huge Mamenchisaurus fossil, which is about 24 meters long and about 3.8 meters high. In the life evolution exhibition hall, four dinosaur fossils, namely the Pu’an Yunyang dinosaur fossil, the Modaoxi Three Gorges dinosaur fossil, the Yuanshi Bashan dinosaur fossil, and the Puxian Emei dragon fossil, are all discovered in Chongqing’s Yunyang District, which has significant academic significance for global dinosaur research. They are currently only exhibited in the Chongqing Natural Resources Science Museum.
The museum’s life evolution exhibition hall showcases the dinosaur era through a combination of fossil specimens, restoration installations, and scene spray paintings. (Photo/Zhang Jinhui)
The two Baishi giant panda fossils displayed in the hall are the largest type in the giant panda family, taller and more ferocious than the current giant pandas, with a body size of nearly 2 meters. The Baishi giant panda became extinct tens of thousands of years ago, and there are only four fossils worldwide. The museum exhibited two of them at once, which is quite impressive.
The museum is a popular science museum in Chongqing specializing in natural resources, aiming to collect, protect, study, and comprehensively display the geological changes, ancient biological evolution, and the overall situation of mountains, waters, forests, fields, lakes, grasses, and mines in Chongqing, and convey the concept of harmonious coexistence between human beings and nature.
For example, the natural resources exhibition hall systematically introduces Chongqing's unique geological landscapes and natural resources. In the “mineral” section of the natural resource exhibition hall, more than 100 kinds of exhibitable and easily preserved domestic mineral resources are showcased, and the “advantage rankings” of the 70 types of minerals discovered in Chongqing are also listed.
The natural resources exhibition hall displays the Chongqing strontium mine, the second-largest reserve in China. (Photo/Zhang Jinhui)
“Tetradymite in Chongqing has a resource reserve of 122.24 million tons, ranking first in the country,” said Tang Yongyang, the leader of the popular science group at the museum. Tetradymite resources are mainly distributed in Chengkou County and can be used for the barium chemical industry. In addition, Chongqing’s strontium and mercury mines rank second in the country in terms of reserves, and its bauxite reserves rank fifth in the country.
“We hope to showcase Chongqing’s natural resources while carrying out science popular for the public and cultivate more talent with the potential to become scientists,” said Qin Haitian, the secretary of the Party committee and director of the Chongqing Planning and Exhibition Hall.
Qin Haitian said that in the next step, the museum would actively cooperate with primary and secondary schools in Chongqing and invite academicians and experts to hold popular science lectures and exhibitions for the young people in Chongqing.