Fans of taxidermy, the art of preparing, stuffing and mounting the skins of dead animals for display, will be pleased to know that a new exhibition at the National Zoological Museum in Chaoyang district has opened entirely devoted to the craft. Around 200 stuffed animals have filled its rooms since March 27 and will stay there till May 27.
The choice of animals is wide and varied, from the mundane, such as a horse and sheep, to the more unusual lynx and snow leopard. A particularly eye-catching one is the brown racehorse. This exhibit is delicately made and gives you the impression the horse is still alive and ready to make a great jump at any moment. Rumor has it, the owner of the horse was so sad when it died that they decided to preserve its beauty in this way.
In contrast to the horse as one of the largest specimens on display, a four-centimeter-tall rat is definitely the smallest one here. In fact, it is so small that it needs to be observed through a magnifying glass. Yet small as it is, the process of making this rat is far from easy, and its fluffy hair and glazed eyes capture the vividness of the little creature.
Most of the animals come from zoos across China. Some though were never real animals to start. The simulative tiger is a good example. At first glance, you might not notice a difference between this fake tiger and a real tiger. However, in reality it is made from a combination of processed dog skin on the outside and an artificial bone structure on the inside.
National Zoological Museum
Address: 1 Beichen Xilu, Chaoyang district
Tel: 6480-7976
Opening hours: 9 am - 4:30 pm
Admission: 40 yuan
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