China's hometown of the mammoth to build paleontology museum

The fossil-rich Qinggang County held a week-long event to promote public knowledge about fossil preservation, seen here on Monday, May 7, at Peking University. [Photo: Provided to China Plus]

The fossil-rich county of Qinggang in western Heilongjiang Province has announced a plan to construct a major paleozoological museum. Known in China as being home to several mammoth fossil sites, the county recently showcased mammoth skeletons as well as other specimens at an exhibition at Peking University.

Wang Lei, the head of Qinggang County, said local authorities are dedicated to developing fossil-related tourism, including the construction of a park to share knowledge about these ancient creatures.

In 1958, fossils of woolly mammoths were first unearthed in Qinggang. Over 40 types of fossils from mammoths, woolly rhinoceros, wild horse, and bison have since been unearthed there.

In addition to Qinggang County, Qianxinan in Guizhou Province, Yanji City in Jilin Province, Zhucheng City in Shandong Province, and Yunyang in Chongqing Municipality all contributed fossils to the exhibition at Peking University. The annual exhibition has been running since May 2016 with the goal of raising public awareness of the study of paleontology and the importance of fossil protection.