On the morning of April 28, 2026, the highly anticipated opening ceremony of the special exhibition "T-Rex: King of the Dinosaurs" was grandly held at the plaza of the Natural History Museum of China.

Co-hosted by the Natural History Museum of China, the Dinosaur Museum Altmühltal in Germany, and Sennuoman Cultural Technology (Hainan) Co., Ltd., and guided by the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, this special exhibition marks not only the first public display of Tyrannosaurus rex fossils in mainland China, but also the most comprehensive gathering of different Chinese Tyrannosaus ever assembled. While introducing high-quality international cultural resources, this exhibition further deepens exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and international museums and cultural institutions.

At 10:00 a.m., the opening ceremony officially began. Leaders and distinguished guests attending the ceremony included Dr. Xue Li, Party Secretary and Chairperson of the Chinese Association of Natural Science Museums; Dr. Zhou Zhonghe, paleontologist and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Dr. Liu Hui, Party Secretary of the Beijing Academy of Science and Technology; Guo Jingning, Party Secretary and Director of the Capital Museum; Dr. Anna Janus, Cultural Counselor of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in China; Michael Volker, Chairman of the Dinosaur Museum Altmühltal in Germany; and Dr. Nizar Ibrahim, paleontologist and Associate Professor at the University of Portsmouth. The ceremony was hosted by Zhang Tengyue, a presenter from the Social Education Program Center of China Media Group.

Dr. Zhang Yuguang, Deputy Director of NHMC, introduced the highlights and significance of the special exhibition to the audience, and sincerely invited everyone to visit the museum to catch a glimpse of the "true face" of the prehistoric Tyrannosaurus rex.

Dr. Nizar Ibrahim provided a scientific interpretation of the two Tyrannosaurus rex fossils on display, explaining their important research value.

Academician Zhou Zhonghe delivered a keynote speech, discussing the significant value of paleontological research and elaborating on the importance of this special exhibition in enhancing public scientific literacy.

In a warm and lively atmosphere, Chinese and international guests jointly took the stage to inaugurate the special exhibition, marking the official opening of this prehistoric dialogue spanning hundreds of millions of years to the public.

Stepping into the exhibition hall, the most captivating sights are the "male and female tyrants" from the Dinosaur Museum Altmühltal in Germany—the young Tyrannosaurus rex Rocky and the adult Regina. Rocky boasts a fossil completeness of over 60%, which is exceptionally rare. Regina measures over 12 meters in length. Both full-size skeletons are genuine fossil specimens from the museum's collection. Crossing 66 million years of geological time, flying nearly 8,000 kilometers across the Eurasian continent, they have finally arrived at the Natural History Museum of China to meet their Chinese audience.

Equally eye-catching are the impressive assembly of famous carnivorous dinosaurs featured in the special exhibition: Sinosaurus, Yangchuanosaurus, Allosaurus, Carcharodontosaurus, and many others. Distributed across different continents and eras, they are now brought together under one roof at the special exhibition.

For dinosaur fans, several type specimens in the special exhibition are particularly attractive: the skull of Yangchuanosaurus hepingensis, the skull of Dilong paradoxus, the lower jaw of Zhuchengtyrannus magnus, and Panguraptor lufengensis, among others. As the specimens upon which species were named and defined, they are not only unique in the world but also serve as the standard reference for research on these species. Many paleontology enthusiasts have remarked that being able to see these specimens with their own eyes at the special exhibition alone makes the trip worthy.

In addition to the life-sized bronze Tyrannosaurus rex sculpture on the museum plaza, the special exhibition also displays  modelsscientifically restored at actual scale. According to the curator, these models are meticulously reconstructed based on the discovered fossil specimens and the latest, most authoritative research findings, recreating the complete postures of these dinosaurs as they would take up in life. They help visitors understand the physical characteristics and appearance of these prehistoric giants.

In addition to fossil specimens and restoration models, the special exhibition also places great emphasis on science popularization and cultural dissemination. The exhibition features a dedicated thematic area that systematically presents the century-long research history of Tyrannosaurus rex since its discovery, as well as its symbolic evolution in mass culture—from the discovery of its first tooth to becoming a pop culture icon, the topic of Tyrannosaurus rex has remained enduringly popular for over a hundred years.

The exhibition also teams up with concerts to create immersive experiences, attracting young audiences and boosting Beijing's cultural tourism.

On opening day, Gao Yuan, a docent from the museum, together with CCTV science program host Zhang Tengyue and science blogger Tang Cheng, conducted a live online tour of the exhibition. A total of 393,000 viewers participated in the tour, getting an early look at the stories behind the exhibits.

The successful staging of the "T-Rex: King of the Dinosaurs" special exhibition marks another solid step forward for the Natural History Museum of China in enhancing its international profile and building a high-quality science brand. The exhibition will run until October 11.