After a two-year upgrade and renovation project, the Beijing Olympic Museum reopened to the public on February 3, coinciding with the second anniversary of the successful Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
The basic exhibition hall, themed "Realizing Dreams at Two Olympics, Together for a Shared Future", spans an area of 8,604 square meters. It comprises three sections titled "Spectacular Winter Olympics", "Memories of Summer Olympics", and "Dual-Olympic City". In total, there are 1,394 exhibits and numerous photographs and videos for the highlights of both games. The museum would be open, except on statutory holidays, between 9:00 and 17:00 from Tuesday to Sunday (last admission at 16:00) every week. Group visitors can make appointments for free, and individuals can visit anytime without appointment.
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, conveys his congratulations through a video message.
Situated south of the National Stadium ("Bird's Nest"), this museum serves as a permanent facility dedicated to the Olympics. It functions as a hub for research, collection, preservation, exhibition and acquisition of Olympic-related artifacts and educational resources, and plays a crucial role in preserving the cultural heritage of the Olympics.
Citizens viewing an exhibition at Beijing Olympic Museum
Founded in 2009, the museum had its administrative affiliation transferred from Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau to Beijing Olympic City Development Center in May 2021. In a course of more than two years, substantial progress was made in four major projects for upgrading and renovating both the interior and exterior of the museum, culminating in their completion in 2023.=
At the museum's reopening ceremony, Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), extended his Chinese New Year greetings, saying "Xin Chun Kuai Le" (Happy Chinese New Year) to the Chinese people in a video message. Bach emphasized that Beijing, as a "Dual-Olympic City" having hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics, has inscribed an extraordinary chapter in the history of the games. He noted that all Chinese citizens can rightfully take pride in these achievements. Additionally, he highlighted that the refurbished museum now stands as a brilliant monument of the living Olympic heritage of Beijing, instilling the timeless values of the Olympics in every visitor.
Patama Leeswadtrakul, an IOC member and chair of the IOC's Culture and Olympic Heritage Commission, conveyed her congratulations on the museum's reopening on behalf of the IOC, the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage, and the Olympic Museums Network. According to her, the museum has become an integral part of the Olympic Museums Network.
During the ceremony, Olympic champions Ye Qiaobo, Deng Yaping, Tong Wen, Wu Dajing, and Han Xiaopeng donated their personal collections to the museum. Hou Ming, director of the museum, also put forward an initiative for the acquisition of Olympic Games-related collections.
(Source: The Beijing News)
