PLACE GUIDE

Beijing Planetarium 北京天文馆

Beijing Tianwenguan

Beijing Planetarium uses two generations of buildings to present astronomy through exhibitions and theater experiences.

The old and new buildings of Beijing Planetarium, photographed from across the road.
The old and new buildings of Beijing Planetarium, photographed from across the road. · N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo adjustments

Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.

Explore the region

Beijing · 北京市 →Xicheng District · 西城区 →

About Beijing Planetarium

Building A contains the historic Celestial Theater and exhibition halls, while Building B adds a digital space theater and other immersive formats. This makes the visit different from simply browsing a science gallery: the experience depends partly on a scheduled show and partly on the displays around it. Choose the screening that suits your interests and language needs, then use the exhibitions to develop the same topic, whether planetary motion, the solar system, or the wider universe.

Beijing Planetarium is affiliated with the Beijing Academy of Science and Technology (北京市科学技术研究院) and also oversees the Beijing Ancient Observatory and several off-site science education bases. Its new building began construction south of the old building in 2001, one of sixty major municipal projects, and opened on 12 December 2004; the old building underwent renovation from November 2006 and reopened on 11 July 2008, restored to its appearance from when it was founded.

The new building rises five stories above ground and two below, with a floor area of 21,594 square meters; it was designed, around a 'relativity' concept, by the American architect Wang Nongji's office and the China Academy of Space Technology's architecture design institute, with its glass curtain wall built by Shenzhen Sanxin Special Glass Technology Co. The design won a design honor award from the Los Angeles chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

The renovated old building has a metal dome 23 meters in diameter and uses paired optical and digital projectors: a Zeiss Model 9 optical projector from Germany, and a digital system combining images from six Sony projectors at 7,800 by 7,800 pixels resolution, then the world's highest-resolution digital planetarium projector, plus four auxiliary laser projectors and a 13.1-channel surround-sound system; seating was reduced from 600 to 400.

What to look for

  • Building A and the Celestial Theater setting: see the earlier generation of Beijing’s public astronomy institution.
  • Building B’s digital presentation spaces: compare newer immersive methods with the traditional planetarium approach.

Location & getting there

Getting to Beijing Planetarium

The matched listing gives No. 138 Xizhimen Wai Dajie. The planetarium is across the street from the Beijing Zoo frontage.

  • Confirm the building and theater named on your ticket so that you arrive at the correct part of the complex.
General visit reminders

Choose the building, exhibition or part of the historic area you most want to see, then leave time to explore its setting. Check the venue’s current opening and reservation arrangements directly; a place appearing on the map does not mean every building or gallery is accessible on your travel date.

Combine your visit

Suggested order within this visit:

  1. Astronomy exhibitions

    Begin with the concepts related to your selected show.

  2. Booked theater presentation

    Use the dome or digital format to visualize the topic.

  3. The second building’s public displays

    Compare another presentation approach if access and time permit.

This sequence is an editorial suggestion based on the features described in the sources. Access to individual buildings or areas should be checked locally; no travel time or shared admission is implied.

Museums, art & science · 博物馆／艺术科技 →

Find Beijing Planetarium

北京天文馆 · 西城区

Amap · 高德地图Approximate pin · 近似位置Apple Maps · 苹果地图

The pin marks the area, not the entrance.

More places nearby

Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.

Beijing Zoo 北京动物园

Less than 1 km away

Beijing Zoo occupies historic garden grounds in Xizhimen, where animal exhibits are interspersed with ponds, trees, and older buildings. The panda complex is a natural starting point for visitors focused on Chinese wildlife…

View guide →

Five Pagoda Temple 五塔寺

1 km away

Beijing’s Five Pagoda Temple is Zhenjue Temple, whose surviving Diamond-Throne Tower combines a substantial stone-and-brick base with five smaller pagodas. Much of the former wooden temple has disappeared, making this compact…

View guide →

Purple Bamboo Park 紫竹院公园

2 km away

Purple Bamboo Park, also known as Zizhuyuan, is a water-and-bamboo garden in Haidian. Three connected lakes, islands, small hills, and bridges create changing viewpoints through extensive bamboo planting. The park’s design uses…

View guide →

Sources & visit information

The sources below support the place-specific description and arrival information. Suggested combinations are editorial planning ideas; confirm current opening, entry arrangements and transport services for your date.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1353039521.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0.

Background paragraphs translated and condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "北京天文馆", Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 92035488.

China Revealed · Editorially updated 2026-10-07