History Museum & Museum of Revolution
The History Museum and Museum of Revolution share
an enormous building, 300 meters (980ft) long on the east side of
Tiananmen Square. The central hall is dedicated to the memory of
Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin. To the north of the hall is the
History Museum and to the south the Museum of Revolution. Both museums
are arranged symmetrically, each with an introductory hall and 17
exhibition halls.
The History Museum showcases a comprehensive introduction to
Chinese civilization dating from 3000BC to 1911AD. Some 30,000 pieces
are on exhibit including Jade seals from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
(1851-1864), Tang stone figurines and Han and Song dynasty pottery.
The Museum of Revolution begins where the History
Museum ends and introduces the visitor to Chinese modern history.
Much of China’s modern history is exhibited, including the founding
of the Chinese Communist Party (1919-1921), the first 2 civil wars
(1924-1927 and 1927-1937), the resistance against Japanese aggression
(1937-1945) and the liberation war (1945-1949). The museum is frequently
updated to reflect the developments of modern political history.
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