China's first geological museum is also the best of its kind in Asia. It has five permanent exhibition halls: the Paleobotancial Hall, the Gems Hall, and the Land and Resources Hall.
The museum's collection is extremely rich, with 120,000 specimens. Its crowning glory is the world's largest quartz crystal (3.5 tons). Other eye-catching pieces such as the earliest hominid fossil in China-Yuanmou-Man tooth from Yunnan Province-are also on display.
The Geological Museum of China is well-known among Beijingers as a place to learn about the country's prehistory, but the building itself also has a few more modern stories to tell.
Sitting in Yangrou hutong in Xisi, Xicheng District, the museum was founded in 1916 and is the largest and oldest national geological museum in China.
In its history of more than 90 years, it has helped local people and visitors to feel the pulse of China's scientific development.
Hours: daily 9am-4.30pm (closed on Mondays)
Entrance: 30 RMB
Suggested length of visit: 1 hour
Transport: Bus 13, 102, 42, 603, 812, 823, 846, to Xisi Lukouxi