Grand Unveiling of Significant Exhibits for China’s Dinosaur World Exhibition

On May 18, the International Museum Day, the unboxing of the Anchiornis huxleyi, the Ambopteryx longibrachium, and the Sinosaurus triassicus marked the arrival of all 118 dinosaur specimens for the China’s Dinosaur World exhibition. This is the first time star dinosaur specimens from across the country have been gathered in one place. The exhibition is jointly organized by the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum (SSTM) and the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It will grandly open at the Shanghai Natural History Museum (an SSTM Branch) on May 26, with public access starting from May 31.

The exhibition is a nationwide collaboration, bringing together 118 representative dinosaur specimens and key models from 12 museums and research institutions. Among these, approximately 80 are classified as Grade-A protected paleontological fossil, which is equivalent to China’s highest-tier cultural relic. There are 42 type specimens of newly named dinosaur species. Notably, 13 specimens have been featured in top-tier international academic journals such as Science and Nature, with two even gracing the cover of Nature.

Museums across China renowned for their dinosaur fossil collections have opened their vaults, handpicking dozens of their “prized possessions” for this grand exhibition. Among them are over ten pieces worthy of “national treasure” status. Additionally, a significant number of highly valuable research specimens - previously confined to academic institutions - will make their public debut in this unprecedented showcase.

The exhibition aims to leverage China’s world-leading dinosaur resources to tell compelling Chinese stories. Through dinosaur fossils and their corresponding paleoenvironments from different periods, it traces China’s 200-million-year geological evolution. The exhibition also highlights the scientific discoveries and research endeavors of three generations of Chinese paleontologists specializing in dinosaur studies, celebrating their spirit of inquiry while enhancing public understanding of paleontology. Ultimately, it seeks to cultivate scientific literacy and shape a science-based worldview, particularly among young audiences.