Before the permanent venue was completed, Tsinghua University Science Museum organized several thematic exhibitions in the university’s Meng Minwei Humanities Building, showcasing some of its collection highlights in advance.
This year, Tsinghua University Science Museum will complete its structural topping-out. It is expected to open to the public in 2027 as China’s first comprehensive, collection-based research science museum. Notably, a full-scale replica of the world’s earliest astronomical clock—the Water-Powered Armillary Sphere and Celestial Globe from the Northern Song Dynasty—will be displayed as a centerpiece treasure. The research team has already completed the design work.
On the vacant lot between the Tsinghua University Art Museum and the Academy of Arts & Design building, the Science Museum project is in full swing, with a double-« T »-shaped structure rising from the ground. « The ‘T’ stands for the first letter of Tsinghua’s official English name. The two ‘T’s joined together resemble the mathematical constant ‘π’. » The museum director explained that incorporating important constants from mathematics and natural sciences into the museum’s exterior design directly highlights its « scientific » theme. The interior will include a main exhibition hall, a Tsinghua hall, and a special exhibition hall, covering a total area of about 6,000 square meters. The main hall will display the development of science and technology in both Eastern and Western contexts, the Tsinghua hall will showcase the university’s major scientific achievements and scientific culture, and the special exhibition hall will host collaborative exhibitions with domestic and international institutions.
From the architectural design model, a hexagonal glass « pyramid » stands at the main entrance of the Science Museum, serving as an independent display area for the centerpiece treasure. « The full-scale replica of the Water-Powered Armillary Sphere and Celestial Globe is nearly 13 meters tall. It was a massive scientific instrument invented during the Northern Song Dynasty, integrating timekeeping, time announcement, celestial simulation, and astronomical observation functions. It represents the pinnacle of ancient Chinese astronomical instrument manufacturing and is the world’s earliest astronomical clock. The original no longer exists. » A senior researcher at the Science Museum, who has studied the Water-Powered Armillary Sphere and related astronomical machinery for over 20 years and serves as the chief scientist for this restoration project, said, « The entire structure is divided into three levels: the top level houses an armillary sphere for observation and a movable roof, the middle level contains a celestial globe simulating the movement of heavenly bodies, and the bottom level features a hydraulic drive system and a wooden time-announcing mechanism. »
As early as 1953, Liu Xianzhou, then First Vice President of Tsinghua and a pioneer in modern mechanical engineering in China, proposed the idea of restoring the Water-Powered Armillary Sphere and Celestial Globe and discussed several technical details. Since then, research teams have continued to advance the restoration process. The Tang Foundation and an honorary university trustee provided funding for the restoration project, turning the concept into reality. The researcher revealed that this restoration not only replicates the appearance but also restores the functionality. « Visitors will be able to ascend each level of the Water-Powered Armillary Sphere and Celestial Globe, gaining an intuitive understanding of the mechanical principles behind its operation and learning scientific knowledge through interaction. »
The list of exhibits features many重磅嘉宾 making a comeback—replicas such as Pascal’s calculator, Galileo’s telescope, and Hawksbee’s electrostatic generator will be displayed alongside technological artifacts like marine chronometers, hand-cranked sewing machines, phonographs, and horizontal sundials, as well as high-tech interactive exhibits, recreating great scientific discoveries and technological inventions in the history of human science and technology.
The director stated that the museum will use its rich collection of scientific instruments, scientific literature, and multimedia displays to expand the public’s scientific horizons, promote interdisciplinary research and the development of the history of science and technology at the university, and cultivate a spirit of scientific innovation among students.
Before the permanent venue was completed, Tsinghua University Science Museum organized thematic exhibitions such as « The Age of Radio Waves—Early History of Radio Technology, » « Divine Ingenuity—History of Calculating Devices, » and « Soaring to the Skies—Leonardo da Vinci’s Engineering and Flying Machines » in the university’s Meng Minwei Humanities Building, giving the public a preview of some collection highlights.
