A colossal collection of dinosaur fossils and models has roared into life at the Shanghai Natural History Museum. The “China’s Dinosaur World” exhibition showcases 118 dinosaur specimens brought together from across the country, some stepping out of their research institutions for the first time.
Hosted by the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum and the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), this exhibition offers a rare glimpse into one of the most fascinating chapters of life’s evolution on Earth.
“Through these fossils and the knowledge presented, visitors can delve into the Earth’s ancient environments and the incredible biodiversity of the past,” said Xu Xing, an academician at the CAS and director of the IVPP. “This grand exhibition enables the public to gain a deeper understanding of the dinosaurs that once roamed China and how their discoveries contribute to our understanding of evolutionary history.”
The exhibition spans prehistoric eras and regions, featuring early Jurassic dinosaurs from Yunnan in southwest China, mid-to-late Jurassic species from Sichuan and Chongqing, late Jurassic communities from Xinjiang in the northwest, feathered dinosaurs from the late Jurassic to early Cretaceous periods in Liaoning and Inner Mongolia, and Cretaceous-era specimens from Henan, Inner Mongolia, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Shandong.
Li Bicheng, collections director at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, emphasized that this exhibition breaks new ground. “We’re using China’s dinosaurs to tell the global story of evolution, bringing hidden specimens into public view, and showing how geology and climate shaped these ancient creatures, not just presenting their bones,” Li explained.
The star attraction is Lufengosaurus huenei, China’s first scientifically described dinosaur. Discovered in 1938 in Lufeng, Yunnan, it was the first dinosaur to be excavated, researched, named, and displayed by Chinese scientists. Although it’s been housed at the IVPP in Beijing for many years, this marks the first time the Lufengosaurus huenei is being exhibited outside the capital.
Xu highlighted the global significance of China’s dinosaur fossils. “The discovery of feathered dinosaur fossils in China completely changed our perception of dinosaurs, showing important evolutionary events like the transition from dinosaurs to birds,” he noted. Over the past few decades, numerous feathered dinosaur and bird-like fossils unearthed in northeast China have provided substantial evidence supporting the theory that birds evolved from dinosaurs.
Adding to the excitement, interactive elements enhance the visitor experience. Attendees can watch videos detailing specimen discoveries, engage with multimedia installations on dinosaur evolution, and participate in educational programs targeting youth. Theme weeks spotlight dinosaur specimens and cultural heritage from different regions, while an international symposium brings together paleontologists and museum experts to share cutting-edge research and science communication strategies.
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Dinosaur exhibition in Shanghai reveals life's evolution on Earth
cgtn.com
