China through the Lens: National Film Museum

No film museum would be complete without a theater, and the China National Film Museum has plenty of those — three 35mm theatres, a digital projection hall, and a massive, 27 meter wide and 21 meter high IMAX theatre. "IMAX films use 70mm, offers a much higher resolution," according to Maggie Song, assistant director of the film museum's administration office.

Films are screened Tuesday-Sunday, and tend to attract large audiences. When the film Avatar debuted in IMAX, the theater managed to serve about 10,000 people in back-to-back showings.

The production of the first Chinese movie, "Conquering Jun Mountain," is recreated in the museum. [Photo/CRIENGLISH.com]

The museum was founded in 2005 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Chinese film, and is the largest professional film museum in the world. ""When the museum was founded, a group of film experts and artists researched and collected these films and photos from China and all over the world." Maggie Song said of the museum's collections. The entrance to the museum features autographs of famous film stars and directors from all over the world, who attended the museum's opening.

Getting to the museum is a bit of a hike, with its location near the Airport Expressway in Beijing's northeastern part. However, visitors with enough time for the long commute will find the China National Film Museum, the world's largest professional film museum, well worth the visit for its vivid look at Chinese film history and a rare look at old techniques.

Visitors can try to outrun a T-rex using blue-screen techniques in one of the museum's interactive exhibits. [Photo/CRIENGLISH.com]

Logistics:

Address: 9 Nanying Lu, Chaoyang District

Hours: Tue-Sun 9am-4.30pm (last entry 4pm)

Admission: Free (bring passport or ID card), movie ticket prices vary

Phone: 6431 9548