[Photo from visitbeijing.com.cn]

[Photo from visitbeijing.com.cn]

Name：Chinese Aviation Museum

Star Rating：4 star

Admission: 20 yuan for the Cavern Exhibition Hall and 20 yuan for the Integrated Hall

Opening Hours：08:30 - 17:30 (closed on Mondays, except public holidays)

Phone: +86 10 6178 4882

Address: Foot of Datangshan Mountain, Changping District, Beijing

Description:

China Aviation Museum is about 40 miles north of Beijing and located at the foot of fascinating Xiao Tang Hill in Chang Ping County. On November 11, 1989, it was opened to the public in the 40th Anniversary year of the Founding of Air Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

On April, 1991, the air force official ratified its name as the "Air Force Aviation Museum". In the foreign exchanges, it is called as the China Aviation Museum.

The museum was founded on part of an airbase; the runways are a mile distance and are connected to the museum by a long taxiway, which is also used as access for the traffic. Next to the museum, the taxiway continues up a hill. On the hill is a large U-shaped tunnel, which during the operational days of this part of the airbase undoubtedly sheltered numerous aircrafts. Near to the taxiway, there are some aprons and a hangar, so there is room for many, many aircraft, mostly military but also some civil ones.

The museum is divided into three large exhibition areas: Cavern Exhibition Hall, Open-air Exhibition Area, and Integrated Hall.

Cavern Exhibition Hall

The Cavern Exhibition Hall is situated to the south of the mark with an area of 20,000 square meters (5 acres). In this hall the exhibits range from ancient manned flight inventions to modern high-speed high-altitude fighter planes, which form a magnificent illustration of its development history. These exhibits are placed on two sides in chronological order. The right side not only exhibits aircraft which are famous in Chinese aviation history, such as Fengru II, Leshiwen I and Lienin, but also displays a variety of models of aircraft manufactured by the former Soviet Union, the United States, France, Japan, Canada, Czech Republic, such as Japanese 99 advanced trainer aircraft, Soviet-built Wave -2, La -9, La-11, Yak -17, American-made P-51, L-5 aircraft. The left side is a series of modern aircrafts produced by China. The rear of the hall exhibits radar, missiles, artilleries, etc.

Open-air Exhibition Area

As you walk to the north from the mark, you cannot miss the Open-air Exhibition Area. The Hero Avenue runs through the Open-air Exhibition Area, which divides the area into two parts.

There is an artificial lake on the left of the Hero Avenue. On the southern side of the lake planes which were used specially by great people are displayed, while on the northern side of the lake, bombers and special types of aircraft are displayed.

The right side of the Hero Avenue exhibits fighter planes, cargo-transport planes, surface to air missiles, antiaircraft artillery, radar and helicopters.

Integrated Hall

All the way down to the Hero Avenue, a sword sculpture comes into view. Behind the sculpture lies the Integrated Hall. In this hall it displays 28 practicalities of aircraft, over 550 models of various aircraft, missiles, antiaircraft artillery, radar etc. More than 200 pieces of small cultural relics, 20 audio and video demo tablets, 12 sand table scenes and 1850 pictures and photos can be seen. On the west side of the Integrated Hall lays a CS field camp, where you can have an unforgettable experience.

At present, the aviation museum has collected more than 200 airplanes with types exceeding 100, and weapon and equipped samples like ground-air missile, high cannon, radar, aviation bomb and aviation cameras. Among which, lots of them are precious cultural relics of the country as well as are world aviation treasure works.

Best Time to Travel: All seasons.

Transportation:

Bus:

1. Bus 945 or 643 takes you directly here;

2. If you start from Deshengmen Station, take bus 345 or bus 345 Express, get off at Shahebei Bridge Station and get on Bus 945.

Subway:

Take subway line 5 to Tiantongbeiyuan Station and then get on bus 643.

Nearby Accommodation:

1. Beijing Yulin Spa Resort

Address: Western Modern Agricultural Technology Demonstration Park, Changping District, Beijing

2. Beijing Tangshan Holiday Conference Center

Address: Address: Western End of Center Street, Little Tangshan Town, Changping District, Beijing

3. Express 8 Hotel (at Little Tangshan)

Address: South of Little Tangshan Village, Little Tangshan Town, Changping District, Beijing