Beijing Aviation Museum

 

Basic Facts of the Beijing Aviation Museum

Chinese Name: 北京航空航天博物馆 Pronunciation: Běijīng Hángkōng Hángtiān Bówùguǎn

Building Time: 1985

Recommended Time for Visit: 2 Hours

Exhibition Area: About 8,300 square meters

Address: Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China

Admission Ticket Fare: Free (Visitors should make online reservations one day in advance.)

Building Function: The museum is built to meet the needs of social development, and to popularize aerospace science knowledge to the public.

 

Opening Hours

Date	Tuesday and Saturday
Opening Hours	9:00-12:00

 

• Note:

1. The museum is not open to the public on Monday, Wednesday to Friday and Saturday.

2. The museum is not open to the public temporarily until further notice.

 

Introduction of the Beijing Aviation Museum

Located in Beihang University, the Beijing Aviation Museum is the first comprehensive science and technology museum in China. The museum integrates teaching, science popularization, and cultural heritage with an exhibition area of 8,300 square meters. It is an important part of the National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Centre for Aerospace. The Beijing Aviation Museum also serves as a key base for aerospace science popularization and cultural heritage, Beihang spirit, and youth patriotism, and national defense education.
 

The Beijing Aviation Museum was built in 1985 when most of the exhibits were displayed outdoors. After the four-year construction, the museum reopened in 2012. Since then, all of the precious exhibits have been moved indoors to avoid weather damage. At present, the entire museum has a two-story structure, divided into four exhibition areas: “Dream in the Sky” (aircraft structure, engine, etc.), “Silver Eagle Air Tour” (physical aircraft collection hall), Aerospace Corridor (the second floor of the history of aviation science and technology), and Shenzhou Wentian (the second floor of aerospace technology exhibition hall).
 

Besides, the Shenzhou Wentian Exhibition Hall includes five parts: rockets and missiles, satellites and detectors, manned spaceflight, aerospace interaction area, and student works area. This exhibition hall, with the theme of aerospace, strives for creating the visual effects of a space test base. This kind of immersion will give tourists, especially children, a wonderful feeling and experience.
 

The whole museum covers limited space, so it takes nearly two hours to have a brief visit. However, for aviation fans, it takes quite a long time to have close contacts with every aircraft. The museum displays more than 300 pieces of aerospace cultural relics recognized at home and abroad, as well as precious objects such as structural parts, engines, and airborne components. It carries rich scientific principles and profound historical accumulation. It shows the journey of human flight to the sky through the means of high-tech.

 

History of the Beijing Aviation Museum

The Beijing Aviation Museum was established in 1985. The predecessor of the museum was the aircraft structure showroom and hangar of the Beijing Aviation Academy. It covered an area of 7,000 square meters and was divided into six exhibition areas. In the main exhibition area, there were more than 30 various physical aircraft neatly parked on the apron. Some fighters have important historical significance and extremely high cultural relic value.         
 

On October 21, 2012, the Beijing Aviation Museum officially opened. The construction of the new building of the museum reflects Beihang University’s academic advantages and characteristics. It combines teaching, scientific research, and popular science education. The museum is an important platform and cultural dissemination base for building Beihang University into an advanced cultural demonstration zone.

 

Top Highlights to See in the Beijing Aviation Museum

P-61, the First American Night Fighter

The P-61 fighter (P-61 Black Widow), the first American night fighter, with the size of a medium bomber, is a witness of the joint effort of China and America in the resistance against the Japanese aggressors. After World War II, America did not sell P-61 fighters to countries other than China. At present, there are only two P-61 fighters all over the world, one of which was in the Ohio Air Force Museum, USA, and the other was this one in the Beijing Aviation Museum. The P-61 fighter had been damaged before 2012 when the exhibits were stored outdoors. Currently, this fighter, of precious historical value, has been restored properly and appeared in front of the audience with a brand-new look.
 

“Beijing No.1”

The making of “Beijing No.1”, China’s first light passenger plane, was personally instructed by Premier Zhou Enlai in 1958, and it was designed and produced by teachers and students from the Beijing Aviation Academy (Beihang University). There were over 1,800 people involved in designing and producing the plane, including students, teachers, and employees. Its maiden flight took place at Beijing Capital Airport on September 23, 1958. The launch of “Beijing No.1” has not only filled the gap in China but also trained a large number of aerospace talents for our country. In 2012, “Beijing No.1” was housed in the Beijing Aviation Museum of Beihang University.

 

Harrier Fighter

In the movie “True Lies” (1994) starred by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the scene of the protagonist driving a fighter plane to rescue his daughter is believed to have impressed many people, and the fighter plane was an AV-8B attacker based on the British Harrier fighter. In fact, the Beijing Aviation Museum also has a collection of Harrier fighters.

 

Good to know

Starting on September 7, 2020, the Beijing Aviation Museum is not available to the general public because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Getting Here

By Bus

Take bus 331, 375, 386, 438, 478, 484, 603, 606, 632, 686, 693, BRT 14, BRT 106, or Night 14 and get off at Beihang University Station.
 

By Subway

Take Metro Line 10 and get off at Xitucheng Station (Exit A). You need walk along Xueyuan Road northward for about 1 kilometer to the east gate of Beihang University.
 

By Taxi

Chinese: 请带我去北京航空航天博物馆。English: Please take me to the Beijing Aviation Museum.

If you go to the Beijing Aviation Museum from the center of Beijing (Grand Hyatt Beijing), it takes about 35 minutes (about 45 yuan).

If you go to the Beijing Aviation Museum from Beijing Capital International Airport, it takes about 35 minutes (about 100 yuan).

If you go to the Beijing Aviation Museum from Beijing Daxing International Airport, it takes about 1 hour (about 200 yuan).

If you go to the Beijing Aviation Museum from Beijing West Railway Station, it takes about 25 minutes (about 40 yuan).