Laboratory Animal Research Center
The Herbarium of Peking University was established in 1924, housing a collection of over 15,000 plant and animal specimens assembled by Kuan-Kuang Tsoong from 1918 to 1921 across 11 provinces, including Guangdong and Yunnan. This initiative by Chinese scholars marked the inception of China's first herbarium. The collection includes specimens that were collected and prepared by professors and students of the Natural History Department during the Imperial University of Peking era, such as Dianthus chinensis (1905), Phryma leptostachya subsp. asiatica (1905), and Mergus merganser (1908). The merger of herbariums from Tsinghua University and Yenching University in 1946 and 1952 significantly expanded the diversity and volume of specimens at Peking University's herbarium.
In 2013, the herbarium underwent reconstruction and was rebranded as the Museum of Biology Peking University, opening to the public in May 2018 (https://biomus.pku.edu.cn). The museum currently houses over 50,000 animal and plant specimens. Notable collectors and researchers of animal specimens include Jing-Fu Hu, Shisan C. Chen, and Liu Cheng-chao, while plant specimens were primarily collected and studied by Kuan-Kuang Tsoong, Ji-Tong Li, Yun-Zhen Wu, Cheng-Yih Wu and Jin-Wu Wang. Renowned botanist Ren-Chang Ching emphasized the significance of Peking University's specimens, citing their broad geographical range and diverse representation of species as crucial for ecological distribution research.
In 2020, the Virtual Museum of Biology PKU was launched, integrating panoramic technology and an automated explanatory system to replicate the museum experience online. This digital platform offers online visitors a virtual tour of exhibition areas, showcasing specimens and providing detailed explanations. The museum regularly hosts exhibitions and organizes activities such as flower pressing and rubbing to create biological specimens. The "Miaobi Shenghua—Biological Scientific Drawing Exhibition," held from 2019 to 2020, displayed historical teaching copperplates, instructional wall charts, and original drawings by esteemed scholars from the Museum of Biology PKU.
With an annual footfall exceeding 35,000 visitors and more than 17,000 online visitors, the museum serves as a comprehensive platform that integrates education, research, and science communication. It emphasizes biodiversity, the historical evolution of biological studies, and recent scientific developments, playing a vital role in scientific, cultural, and international educational exchanges within the university.
Website Link：https://www.lac.pku.edu.cn/