China Aerospace Museum, Space museum in Fengtai District, Beijing, China

The China Aerospace Museum occupies more than 10,000 square metres in the Fengtai District of Beijing, with two floors of public galleries. Its ancient section displays the Shenhuo Feiyao rocket-arrow, the Wan Hu flying legend, a armillary sphere and the Huolong Chushui fire dragon. The modern section holds Long March rockets, the Shenzhou 4 return capsule, spacesuits, rocket engines and space food.

The museum began as a training and demonstration centre for the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, with construction starting in May 1990. It opened as the China Aerospace Museum on 11 October 1992, when General Zhang Aiping cut the ribbon and wrote "Never forget the past, fly into space". It was formally approved on 30 August 1993.

The museum opened in October 1992 as a tribute to the International Space Year, and its first exhibits grew out of a training and demonstration centre built by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. Visitors can see the calligraphy written by General Zhang Aiping at the opening: "Do not forget the past, fly into space".

The building is easily accessible in an urban area and offers ample space to explore the different floors at your own pace. Plan several hours to properly view the exhibits and walk through the various sections.

The museum preserves actual hardware that has been in space and returned from missions, not just theoretical models or replicas. These objects provide a rare glimpse into the physical reality of China's space achievements.