Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum

Away from the noisy streets, surrounded with tall ancient cypress trees, Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum is situated in Beijing Xiannong Altar, which is the first theme museum of China collecting, researching and displaying China ancient architecture, arts and their development history. Opened to the public on September 25 in 1991, it is a historic site under the protection of Beijing Municipality. It is devoted to preservation, study and presentation of Chinese ancient architecture history, culture, technology, and art.

The magnificent and antique layout of the architecture makes it solemn for visitors. The exhibitions are mainly displayed in Taisui Palace, Prayer Hall, and Side Halls. The two major exhibitions in this museum are Demonstration of Chinese Ancient Architecture, and History and Culture of Temple of Agriculture. It exhibits lots of pictures, photos, material objects and elaborate models to introduce Chinese ancient architecture development history from the preliminary status of hutch and mud house to the high rising circumvallation in the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the palace building in neat formation.

China Tank Museum

Opened to the public on August 1, 1998, the China Tank Museum is the only tank museum in Asia. The museum contains four major sections: History of the Development of the People’s Armed Forces, Tanks and Armored Vehicles, Tank Training Simulator, and Weapon Simulation. There are 11 exhibit halls altogether. Additionally, the museum has 915 pictures, 420 pieces of literature mapping the development of the mechanized armed forces from nothing, from weak to strong.

The museum has displays from many different time periods, with all kinds of models of tanks, armored vehicles, and tank training simulators. The Tank Museum displays China’s newly developed heavy duty tanks, as well as feats performed by tanks in battle. There are tanks aided by the Soviet Union, and Japanese tanks seized during the War of Resistance against Japan during World War II，as well U.S.-made tanks seized during the War of Liberation.

Ancient Pottery Culture Museum

Neighboring the Beijing Grand View Garden with antique flavor, there is a tranquil and unconventional museum, the Ancient Pottery Culture Museum, one of the first wave of privately-run museums in Beijing. Located in No.12 Nancaiyuan West Street in Xicheng District, the museum was opened to the public on June 15 in 1997.

Ancient Pottery Culture Museum is a museum that specializes in pottery culture. Pottery was the first marker of human civilization, as well as the source of human art. Known as the “Five Elements of Art”, pottery is a representative for Chinese nation, expressing its beauty and wisdom to the utmost. The culture relics preserved are comprised of three series, including over 100 ancient painted potteries of Neolithic Age and potteries of Zhou, Qin and Han Dynasties, over 300 tiles with a circular facade of Warring States period and Qin and Han Dynasties, and over 1000 lutes of Qin and Han Dynasties, as well as about 3000 ancient potteries of other fields concerned. All these relics form a nearly complete and vivid history of pottery civilization.