The Henan Natural History Museum (河南自然博物馆), namely the former Henan Geological Museum, with a building area of 5870 square meters, houses over 5,000 fossils, rocks, and various mineral specimens, as well as more than 90,000 volumes of domestic and foreign books and literature. Visitors to the museum can marvel at fossils such as dinosaurs, oviraptors, nodosaurs, and dinosaur eggs, as well as numerous precious early mammals and feathered dinosaurs. Additionally, the museum displays a large collection of plant and animal fossil specimens, including ginkgo fruit fossils and ancient Chinese fruits.
In addition to viewing these fossil specimens, visitors can also enjoy 16 three-dimensional animated films such as “Geology of Henan,” “Mining in Henan,” “Exploring Henan Geological Park,” “The Mystery of the Western Xia Dinosaur Egg Enrichment,” and “The Uplift of the Taihang Mountains.” The museum also features over 30 highly realistic landscape models depicting karst landforms, glaciers, Danxia landforms, caves, open-pit mining, and gold mines, allowing visitors to appreciate the natural wonders created by the movement of the Earth.
Table of Contents
- Basic Information
- Location and Transportation
- Exhibitions in Henan Natural History Museum
- Vlog about Henan Natural History Museum
Basic Information
| Estimated Length of Tour | 2 – 3 hours |
| Ticket Price | Free |
| Opening Hours | 9.00 – 16.30; Last admission: 16.00 |
| Telephone Number | 0086-0371-68108999 0086-0371-56001937 |
Location and Transportation
The Henan Natural History Museum is located at No. 18 Jinshui East Road, Zhengdong New District, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province. To get there, you can choose one of the following ways:
Bus: Take bus B38, G23, G29, G919, K901, S131, or Y13 and get off at Jinshui East Road Agriculture South Road Stop (金水东路农业南路站).
Metro: The closest metro station to the Henan Natural History Museum is Agriculture South Road (Nongye Nanlu, 农业南路站). After getting out of the station from Exit D, walk about 250 meters to the west to reach the museum.
Exhibitions in Henan Natural History Museum
Earth Hall
This hall introduces visitors to the vast mysteries of the universe and Earth. It covers topics such as the eight planets of the solar system, the formation and evolution of Earth, its layered structure, various types of rocks formed by geological processes, ancient continental aggregation, division, and drift. Visitors can experience the impact of earthquakes and disasters in the earthquake theater, learn about the effects of weathering, karst landforms, and glaciers on human civilization, and explore the significance of the Yellow River, loess, and Yellow River culture.
Dinosaur Hall
Also known as the Mesozoic Era Exhibition Hall, this section showcases the dominance of dinosaurs on land during the Mesozoic era, as well as marine reptiles like ichthyosaurs and flying reptiles like pterosaurs. Visitors can marvel at some of the world’s largest dinosaur egg fossils from Henan, as well as specimens of large and heavy dinosaurs from Asia, smaller oviraptorosaurs, nodosaurids from China, and over ten precious specimens of feathered dinosaurs. Interactive activities such as “Race with Dinosaurs,” “Compare Weight with Dinosaurs,” “Dinosaur Puzzle,” “Dinosaur Egg Laying,” and “Dinosaur Stamp Souvenir” provide educational and entertaining experiences for visitors of all ages.
Mineral Hall
Minerals are treasures bestowed upon humanity by nature, formed over millions of years and displaying a myriad of colors and shapes. They have had a profound impact on human life. This hall displays hundreds of exquisite mineral crystals and gemstone specimens, highlighting the diverse and beautiful world of minerals. Visitors can marvel at the stunning variety of minerals and learn about their significance in various aspects of human civilization.
Ancient Elephant Hall
Elephants are well-known animals and among the largest vertebrates on land today. Although they are not commonly seen now, in ancient times, they roamed widely across the world, and the Yellow River basin was once their kingdom. Henan Province has discovered over 100 sites containing ancient elephant fossils, representing more than 10 species, distributed across 14 cities. This exhibition showcases the fascinating history of ancient elephants and their presence in the region.