The Coal Museum of China in Taiyuan
The Coal Museum of China Facts
The Chinese Coal Museum is located in Taiyuan City on the west bank of Fenhe Park. Every day our lives are affected by coal. Do you know where coal comes from, how it is formed, or how it is excavated from deep beneath the surface of the earth's crust? A visit to the Chinese Coal Museum will help answer some of these questions along with many other questions you never knew you had. One of the most interesting features of the museum is the Coal Palace.
Chinese Name:太原中国煤炭博物馆
Type: Culture & Museums; Coal Museum
Address: No. 2 Yingze West Street, Wanbailin District, Taiyuan City
Best Seasons: All year around
Recommended Visiting Hours: about 2h 30 min
Ticket: RMB 60 Per Person
Opening Hours: 8:00-18:00
Why is The Coal Museum of China So Special?
- The Coal Museum of China is the only national coal industry museum in China.
- The Coal Museum of China is the collection center of historical relics, coal specimens and documents of coal industry.
- The Coal Palace is a is an underground facility built to replicate a real mine at a scale that is true to life. You can put on a miner’s suit and hat and go down an elevator and passageways similar to ones coal miners use to work. This experience provides a new understanding of the hardship and dangers miners face every day while working.
Brief Introduction of The Coal Museum
Built in 1992, the Coal Museum of China is the only national-level coal industry museum in China. The museum houses cultural relics, specimens, documents and materials from the national coal industry. The museum is also a coal related science education institution and scientific research institution. Covering an area of 11 hectares, the museum includes an exhibition building, China coal science, education, and culture communication center, a lecture hall and an office building.
The Coal Museum of China is divided into east and west yard, consisting of the Exhibition Hall, China Coal Science and Cultural Exchange Center, Lecture Hall, Official Building and Modern Science and Technology Institute.
The general layout of the Coal Museum of China is “seven exhibition halls and one mine”, which are the Coal Formation Hall, Coal and Human Hall, Coal Exploring Technology Hall, Modern China Coal Industry Hall, Coal Art Hall, Coal Documents Hall, Communication on Coal Industry at home and abroad Hall as well as a simulated mine.
Taiyuan
Taiyuan, the capital city of Shanxi Province, is an ancient city with a history of over 2,500 years, earning its fame for the long history and rich mineral resources. As one of the famous historical cities in China, Taiyuan is the known for many historical sites, such as the Chongshan Monastery which was built in the Tang Dynasty (618 – 917), Chunyang Palace, in which the layout of the buildings resembles the shape of the Eight Diagrams, and the Twin Pagoda Temple which is the symbol of Taiyuan. Taiyuan is also a city, rich of mineral resources such as coal, iron, copper and limestone, especially for coal mines, making the city known as ‘the sea of coal’.
History of The Coal Museum of China
The Coal Museum of China has a history of more than 20 years. Currently, it becomes a multi-functional museum witch combines the function of promoting protecting coal relics, coal cultures, showing ancient wall pictures of Shanxi province as well as attracting tourists. Due to its unique coal culture and customized service, it ranks on the lists of the most favorable tourist attractions in Shanxi Province. There are some unique exhibitions, such as the “A Tour to the Coal Sea” and the exhibition of ancient wall paintings in Shanxi Province.
Main Exhibition Halls of The Coal Museum
There is a colliery safety education hall, an ancient mural hall, a simulated colliery, and seven exhibition halls focused on coal and humanity, coal development technology, China’s modern coal industry, coal art, coal documents and China’s links with the coal industry in other countries.
Lobby
It consists of a 15-square-meter world coal resource map, a 6-meter-high giant embossed coal pillar, carved jet crafts, columns where 14 different types of coal are displayed, and a huge model of the Earth.
Exhibition hall for coal formation
The displayed fossils, specimens and geological historical documents show visitors that coal comes from plants. The exhibition hall simulates the Jurassic forest landscape hundreds of millions of years ago. A 6-minute four-dimensional movie enables visitors to experience the ancient living environment and natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions and crustal movement –– all processes that led to the formation of coal.
Exhibition hall for coal and humanity
This exhibition focuses on coal development and utilization in ancient times, coal and modern industrial revolutions, coal and modern life, coal development technology, and the future of coal.
Simulated colliery
The simulated colliery covering 3,200 square meters is the largest underground simulated coal pit in Asia, with 800 meters of routes for visitors to explore.
How to get to The Coal Museum of China
Travel with ChinaDragonTours (top recommended)
If you want to get out of the traffic and hassle of navigation, you can book a private tour package that includes visiting, dining and transfer from us. Our local guide and driver will escort you to The Coal Museum of China in Taiyuan in the fastest and most convenient way and take care of all the details. You just have to focus on the visiting.
Independent Traveler
- By plane: Airport – Longcheng Avenue – Binhe East Road – Yingze Bridge – China Coal Museum
- Take Bus No.1, 38, 611, 809, 813, 822, 855 and 859, getting off at Yingzeqiao West Station. Tourists can get in from the north gate of the museum. Besides, tourists can also take Bus No. 308, 848, 868, 618 and 863 and get off at Yingzeqiao West Station and enter the museum from the East Gate.
Useful Travel Tips
- Contact: 030024 +86 351 658 3208
Official website: http://www.coalmus.org.cn/ - Another Fee
Tour Guide Fees: Chinese explanation: 50 yuan / time (1-10 people), 80 yuan / time (11-20 people); English explanation: 100 yuan / time, each batch (times) visitors must not exceed 20 people, in order to reduce tourists The cost of the visitor can be combined by the guests. - Note: The China Coal Museum is an industrial museum. Due to the special nature of the exhibition, visitors cannot visit on their own. In order to ensure the quality and safety of each visitor, visitors can voluntarily combine and join a visitor with other visitors.
