by Xinhua writers Li Jiacong, Tang Wenhao
SURAKARTA, Indonesia, July 26 (Xinhua) — Beneath the towering skeleton of a long-necked dinosaur, Indonesian schoolchildren craned their necks, their eyes following the fossil upward as cell phones captured the second.
“The dinosaur fossils are really spectacular,” one customer wowed.
The centerpiece was an grownup Omeisaurus tianfuensis from southwest China’s Sichuan Province. Measuring greater than 20 meters lengthy, the big specimen dominated the exhibition corridor of the newly opened Tahir Solo Museum.
Round it, kids and adults paused in amazement, many seeing a real dinosaur fossil at shut vary for the primary time.
The particular exhibition, which opened Saturday, marked the primary time Chinese language dinosaur fossils have been displayed in Indonesia — a rustic the place no scientifically verified dinosaur fossils have but been discovered.
The absence is intently linked to the archipelago’s geological previous. Throughout the Mesozoic Period, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, a lot of present-day Indonesia lay beneath the ocean. The islands had but to take their present kind, leaving few appropriate geological formations wherein the stays of huge land-dwelling dinosaurs could possibly be preserved.
That historical past has made the arrival of the Chinese language fossils notably significant.
Alongside the grownup Omeisaurus are a six-meter-long juvenile of the identical species and a fossil of Huayangosaurus taibaii, considered an early ancestor of stegosaurs. All three are categorised as national-level treasured specimens in China.
For native guests, the fossils supply not solely a glimpse of prehistoric giants but additionally a window into the evolution of life and the planet itself.
“Utilizing dinosaur fossils as a cultural image with international enchantment, the exhibition demonstrates the shared dedication of China and Indonesia to pure heritage conservation and science training,” mentioned Luo Yingying, director of the museum.
She added that the specimens would offer helpful bodily supplies for Indonesian students finding out China’s Mesozoic dinosaur fossils.
The sense of discovery extends past the fossil corridor. Life-size animatronic dinosaurs roar, nod and blink, delighting guests and drawing a gentle stream of households posing for pictures.
In one other part, Indonesian college students step inside a mannequin of China’s Tiangong area station and look at fashions of the Chang’e lunar probes, tracing a journey from the distant previous to humanity’s exploration of area.
“The fashions within the area part had been all manufactured in China and transported to Indonesia,” Luo mentioned. “We localized the descriptions in order that Indonesians can higher perceive China’s scientific and technological achievements.”
On the opening ceremony, Wang Siping, cultural counsellor of the Chinese language Embassy in Indonesia, described the museum’s completion as an necessary cultural occasion for Indonesia and Surakarta, saying it will additional enrich the cultural lifetime of native communities.
He additionally recommended museum founder Tahir and his basis for supporting the event of cultural services within the nation.
Dato’ Sri Tahir, a outstanding Indonesian entrepreneur, mentioned lots of the museum’s displays and fashions had come from China. The dinosaur exhibition, Indonesia’s first of its form, would give the general public a uncommon alternative to study dinosaurs and paleontology, he mentioned.
Noting Indonesia’s giant ethnic Chinese language group, Tahir, a outstanding Chinese language Indonesian group chief, voiced hope that the exhibition would assist strengthen scientific and academic cooperation between the 2 nations.
The cooperation is predicted to increase far past the exhibition corridor.
Zeng Xiaoyun, director of the Zigong Dinosaur Museum, mentioned the 2 sides plan to pursue long-term collaboration in joint scientific expeditions, fossil restoration, analysis sharing and dinosaur science training.
The Zigong Dinosaur Museum is a significant middle for paleontological analysis and homes the world’s largest assortment of Center Jurassic dinosaur fossils. Its assortment covers nearly all recognized dinosaur teams from the Jurassic Interval, courting again between 201 million and 145 million years.
The exhibition in Surakarta options 569 objects, together with 106 first-grade cultural relics, and can run for about 180 days. The broader cooperation program will proceed by way of December 2026.
The exhibition additionally carries the imprint of Zigong’s trendy dinosaur trade. The Sichuan metropolis has grown into the world’s largest manufacturing hub for animatronic dinosaurs, bringing collectively greater than 200 corporations.
In line with a consultant of Zigong Hualong Science and Know-how Co., Ltd., merchandise made within the metropolis are exported to greater than 80 nations and areas and account for 90 p.c of the abroad market.
For Zigong’s dinosaurs, the journey to Surakarta has related fossils and expertise, science and creativeness, in addition to two nations in search of new methods to study from the previous and discover the long run.
