To document a country’s history, it is important to examine conflict. More than history books, museums can record how conflict shapes a country. The Military Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution exists for this sole purpose. In its exhibits, it keeps track of the successes and leadership of the Communist Party of China.
Image from eng.jb.mil.cn
The museum is located at 9 Fuxing Road on Beijing’s Haidan District. You can reach it by subway, bus, or by taxi. If you plan to take the subway, take Lines 1 and Lines 9 and stop in the Military Museum station. From there, it is a 7-minute walk to the museum.
There are a lot of buses that can take you close to the museum. Bus numbers 78 and 85 stop by the Military Museum stop. From the bus stop, walk 450 meters to the museum. Other buses that can drop you close by are bus numbers 32, 65, 85, and 414. These buses stop by the Yuyuantan South Gate (玉渊潭南门 in Chinese Characters) which is a 350-meter walk to the museum.
Image from traveldudes.org
The military museum operates from 9AM to 5PM but only accepts visitors until 4PM. There is no entrance fee and they only need a valid passport for foreigners. You can make a reservation online or get tickets near the entrance on the day you’re visiting. Morning reservations are collected before noon while afternoon reservations are collected before 4PM.
Make sure to take note of the time you intend to visit. Check the museum’s website for any special events and announcements because opening hours may change.
Image from flickr
The museum spans an area of 159 thousand sq meters and has seven floors. On top of the building stands a Chinese People’s Liberation army emblem of a red star with Chinese characters. The recommended time to tour the entire museum is two to three hours but may really depend on your interests.
There are eight permanent exhibitions across 43 exhibition halls. The CPC-led Revolutions and the National Defense and Army Building of the P.R. China are two the eight permanent exhibition themes. The exhibitions are each displayed in six halls, three located in the west wing and the other three in the east wing. You can look at over 1,300 photos and diagrams and 2,600 cultural relics of the wars the Communist Party of China has fought as well as the achievements of the National Defense Party.
On the fourth floor of the building in the western area lies the exhibit dedicated to the Red Army’s Long March. To the east is the fourth permanent exhibition which is Military Diplomacy of the P.R. China. The three most interesting parts of the museum are the Weapons exhibition, Chinese Military History, and Military Technology. Military and weapons enthusiasts usually stay longer in these halls. Most children have fun seeing the tanks, armored vehicles, and aircraft displays. The final exhibition hall is for Military Art.
Image from flickr
Image from flickr
Image from justgola.com
The museum also holds themed exhibitions every now and then. The cultural relics that you will see are divided into Ancient and Modern, Agrarian Revolution, War of Resistance, War of Liberation, and the Socialist Period.
The Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution will teach you a lot about China’s history in two to three hours of your visit.
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