Inside China's new $517 million natural history museum that takes visitors from the cosmos to human evolution, featuring meteorites, dinosaurs and a river-inspired design

Shenzhen Natural History Museum opened on July 28, 2026, in Pingshan District, southern China, with a total investment of US$517 million.

The museum was designed by Danish firm 3XN, Canadian firm B+H Architects, and Chinese firm Zhubo Design, selected from over 70 international proposals.

Its river-inspired design features a free-flowing, curvilinear structure with a green rooftop park blending into the landscape.

The 105,300-square-metre facility includes permanent and temporary galleries, research labs, a 1,100-seat nature theatre, and three cinemas.

Visitors journey from the Cosmos Hall (featuring real meteorite samples) through the Earth Hall's 4.6-billion-year history to human evolution.