Visit Here: The Beijing Railway Museum

From far-flung places in our recent Take the Subway series, we move closer to the city center for a look at a few spots that we think, while they may not be on any Beijing top sights lists, are definitely worth going out of your way to visit.

From a quick jaunt off to the west side to stop by Wutasi and the Stone Carving Museum, we now head back to the Tian’anmen area for a look around the…

China Railway Museum, Zhengyangmen Branch (中国铁道博物馆，正阳门 Zhōngguó Tiědào Bówùguǎn ， Zhèngyángmén)

Before learning a bit about the railway museum itself, it’s best to first learn about the building in which it resides: the original Beijing Railway Station. 

Completed in 1901 under the direction of the British Railways Bureau, the station was then called Zhengyangmen East Station. The name was changed to Beijing Railway Station following the founding of New China in 1949, and was later demolished but rebuilt in the 1970s. The museum itself was opened to the public much later, as an offshoot of the larger museum up north, in 2010.

Why Visit?

If you like trains and railways, the museum makes for a great visit overall. It covers the history of rail in China, with plenty of maps and models – including a few of newer high speed rail stations – plus the chance to try your hand at driving a high speed train – a digital one, at least.

The Details

The China Railway Museum, Zhengyangmen Branch is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9am-5pm daily (last entry 4.30pm) and closed on Mondays. Entry is free with ID or passport.

China Railway Museum, Zhengyangmen 中国铁道博物馆，正阳门
A2 Qianmen Dajie, Dongcheng District
东城区前门大街甲2号
Hours: Tues-Sun, 9am-5pm
Contact: 010 6705 1638; 010 6525 3176

READ: Visit Here: Wutasi & the Stone Carving Museum

Images: Vincent R. Vinci, Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons