National Second-Class Museum in a Small County
📖 Hezheng Ancient Animal Fossil Museum is located in Liangjiazhuang, Chengguan Town, Hezheng County. The museum currently houses more than 30,000 fossil specimens, holding six world records. The most famous are the unique Hezheng Sheep, the world's largest three-toed horse fossil, and the shovel-tusked elephant fossil. The museum is beautifully designed, rich in collections, and unique. Visitors can see various rare fossils and learn a lot of scientific and cultural knowledge.
Many animals are named after regions, and for those extinct ancient animals, there are several naming schemes. For example, some are named after people, while others are named after the place where they were discovered. In this museum, some are named after the county name 'Hezheng,' such as Hezheng Pheasant and Hezheng Sheep. Equus eisenmannae is named after a Frenchman, but this species was discovered within the territory of Linxia Prefecture.
🔅Highlights: A national second-class museum in a small county. In the museum's introduction materials, it lists ten world records. In terms of appearance, the shovel-tusked elephant is quite interesting. Just like an elephant's trunk is used for sucking water, people believe its large teeth were used for shoveling some grass and aquatic or semi-aquatic vegetation. But later, it was discovered that, surprisingly, they were used for peeling bark, functioning like a scythe! Given that it is the excavation site, the museum is large, and the exhibits are so rich that the shovel-tusked elephant fossils can be displayed by age, from small to large, in a row. Moreover, the characteristic of Equus eisenmannae is its long face. Very long. The materials state that 'its face is the longest among horses, both in absolute and relative terms,' but it is also extinct.
👍Wonderful Experience: Bringing children here to 'play' is quite rewarding.
📱Navigation and Parking: The museum has a parking lot, costing 3 yuan per hour.
❗️Tip: On the north side of the road, there are two rows of parked cars, and there are no no-parking signs.
📍Location | Hezheng Ancient Animal Fossil Museum, Linxia Prefecture, Gansu
🎫Free Admission