Museum on Chinese scientists to open to public

BEIJING, May 24 (Xinhua) -- The National Museum for Modern Chinese Scientists will officially open to the public on May 30 with inaugural exhibitions honoring prestigious Chinese veteran scientists.

The inaugural exhibitions -- one main exhibition and five themed exhibitions -- cover a total area of 5,000 square meters at the museum, which is located in the National Communication Center for Science and Technology in north Beijing. They are part of activities to celebrate China's 8th annual National Science and Technology Workers Day which falls on May 30, according to the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST).

The main exhibition showcases over 400 physical objects and over 400 rare images of more than 190 scientists, as well as more than 10 large exhibits provided by research institutions.

The National Museum for Modern Chinese Scientists is the world's first museum established for the scientific community in the name of a nation, according to CAST.

CAST has been collecting data on the academic growth of Chinese senior scientists since 2009.

Over the past 15 years, this project has collected materials on 674 Chinese scientists, including letters, manuscripts, scientific instruments, works, audio and video recordings, as well as related artifacts and documents, making it the largest collection of valuable historical materials of scientists in China and a main source of exhibitions of the National Museum for Modern Chinese Scientists, according to CAST.

Starting from the afternoon of May 30, the public can make reservations online to visit the exhibitions free of charge.