Secrets of Nature

by+Li+Shuya

The dominant structure near the entrance of Shanghais Jingan Sculpture Park is a modern building with a long green tail atop a transparent wall of net. From above， it looks like a giant snail. It houses Shanghai Natural History Museum （SNHM）， a branch of Shanghai Science and Technology Museum （SSTM）. Completed in April 2015， the nautilus design was a joint project between Perkins+Will and the Architectural Design& Research Institute of Tongji University.

One of the largest and most influential museums of natural sciences in China， SNHM dates back to 1868 when the French first established Xujiahui Museum in Shanghai. In 1874， the British founded the Royal Asiatic Society. In 2001， both institutions formally merged into Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. In 2009， a new 45，000-square-meter site in Jingan District， three times as big as its original home， was chosen for the SNHM.

In December 2015， SSTM， the combination of the former Shanghai Science and Technology Museum， Natural History Museum， and Planetarium， was dubbed by the Themed Entertainment Association （TEA） one of the Worlds 20 Most Visited Museums. The only other qualifying museum on Chinese mainland is the National Museum of China in Beijing.

“This is where we unveil the secrets of nature，” declared Wang Xiaoming， SSTMs curator during his interview with China Pictorial. “There are no perfect answers here； you are more likely to find many questions. The things that man has learned about nature are only the tip of the iceberg. Too many riddles remain. We wanted to make a house of wisdom worth visiting.”

China Pictorial （CP）： Some have compared the various biological samples and models on display to the set design of the movie A Night at the Museum. What message should visitors take from them？

Wang Xiaoming （Wang）： The formation of life is considered the greatest miracle in earths history： Some species developed and eventually died out and left fossils. Others remain quiet and are still around today. Whether gone or alive， tiny or giant， they are players in the endless flow of life. The evidence of life we gathered here covers every time and place. An essential mission of a natural history museum is to show visitors the vast difference between forms of individual life.

For example， in the area themed “Mystery of the Origin，” visitors learn about the process of the Big Bang and the origins of life on earth from a 4D short film. These are the most influential theories in modern cosmology. In another hall themed “Endless Flow of Life，” people can experience the prehistoric marine environment， highlighted by a 35-meter-long model of blue whale， fossils of Mamenchisaurus from Hechuan， and fossils of ancient elephants on the banks of the Yellow River.

CP： Whats the core theme of your museum？

Wang： As a museum， exhibits always prevail： the richer the better. And quality counts. The way we show things is often times as important as the exhibit itself. Today， we have acquired some 300，000 items from all corners of the world， 11，000 of which are on display all the year. All exhibition areas support each other， showcasing the relationship and progression of nature.

Along with the displays， our museum provides a sort of “informal education”service. We dont issue diplomas， but we strive to build a community of perpetual learning. Not only does a museum disseminate knowledge， but more importantly， it creates a good environment and space to inspire interest in science and provoke imagination and creativity. Along the road to understanding nature and life， people must ask questions and challenge beliefs to accelerate social development.

CP： What is your biggest contribution to“informal education”？

Wang： Over the past few years， we have stood by three principles when designing exhibitions： Attract the eyes of visitors， let people touch things， and aim to arouse curiosity and inspire minds.

CP： Have you done anything for internationalization？

Wang： Many years ago， SSTM was established by merging the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum， Natural History Museum， and Planetarium， a rare kind of merger in China. Eventually， many mainstream museums have followed suit – a sign of internationalization. Since the establishment， our museum has attached great importance to maintaining an international team. We dispatch our employees abroad for training and frequently invite world-famous scholars and specialists to lecture.

Still， we have bigger dreams. For instance， we want to develop a better way to disseminate science from the Chinese perspective. Our documentary series Rare Animals in China won many domestic and foreign awards. During production， the crew worked hard to see animals through a lens of Chinese culture. Such ideas can be more accepted by fusing culture， science and technology.

CP： What kind of young talent do you most need？

Wang： Inter-disciplinary talents， even maverick geniuses. There is a girl in our Science and Technology Museum who knows almost everything about dinosaurs. Such genius is born of addictive interest. They need feedback from others and a better platform to maximize their talent. In China today， I think there is a lot of really promising talent， especially in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai.