SHANGHAI, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The exhibition "China's Dinosaur World," featuring 118 dinosaur fossils and models brought together from across China, will open to the public on Saturday at Shanghai Natural History Museum.

The exhibition was hosted by the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum and the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Some of the exhibits had never previously left their research institutions.

"Through the display of these fossils and the knowledge presented via the exhibition, the public can learn about one of the most fascinating chapters in the history of life's evolution on Earth," said Xu Xing, an academician at the CAS and IVPP director.

"It reveals what the Earth's environment and biodiversity were like in the past. This grand exhibition enables the public to gain a deeper understanding of the dinosaurs that once roamed China and the contributions their discoveries have made to our understanding of life's evolutionary history," Xu added.

Specimens and models set to be displayed at the Shanghai event span prehistoric geological eras and regions -- including early Jurassic dinosaur groups from Lufeng, southwest China's Yunnan, mid-to-late Jurassic species from Sichuan and Chongqing, both also in southwest China, late Jurassic communities in northwest China's Xinjiang, feathered dinosaurs from late Jurassic to early Cretaceous periods in Liaoning in the northeast and eastern parts of Inner Mongolia, and Cretaceous-era representatives from Henan, Inner Mongolia, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and east China's Shandong.

Li Bicheng, the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum's collections director, noted that this exhibition will offer three revolutionary measures -- using China's dinosaurs to tell the global story of evolution, bringing hidden specimens into public view, and demonstrating how geology and climate shaped these creatures, instead of just presenting their bones.

The star attraction, Lufengosaurus huenei, China's first scientifically described dinosaur, was discovered in 1938 in Lufeng, southwest China.

Lufengosaurus huenei was the first dinosaur to be discovered, excavated, researched, named and displayed by Chinese scientists. In 1941, Chinese vertebrate paleontologist Yang Zhongjian published research findings and named the dinosaur Lufengosaurus huenei -- marking the beginning of dinosaur research in China.

Known as "the treasure of the Paleozoological Museum of China" built by the IVPP in Beijing, it has for many years been housed in the IVPP specimen collection. It is the first time the Lufengosaurus huenei is displayed outside Beijing for public exhibition.

Xu, meanwhile, said that dinosaur fossils from China have made significant and even revolutionary contributions to our understanding of the Mesozoic era.

"Traditionally, dinosaurs were viewed as reptiles and cold-blooded animals, but the discovery of feathered dinosaur fossils in China completely changed this perception, including important evolutionary events like the transition from dinosaurs to birds," said Xu.

Over the past two to three decades, numerous specimens of feathered dinosaurs and avian fossils exhibiting dinosaur characteristics have been unearthed in northeast China, making it a focal point of international dinosaur research and providing substantial fossil evidence for the theory of birds' origins from dinosaurs, according to Xu.

Notably, interactive elements will enhance the visitor experience at the upcoming exhibition in Shanghai. Alongside close-up views of fossils, attendees will be able to watch short videos detailing specimen discoveries and engage with multimedia installations on dinosaur evolution.

Theme week series will spotlight dinosaur specimens and cultural heritage in relevant regions, while an international academic symposium will convene paleontologists and museum experts to share cutting-edge research and science communication strategies.

Educational programs targeting the youth will also be rolled out. ■