Recently, the Harbin Forest Museum in NEFU has been awarded the 12th Liang Xi Science Popularization Prize for its series of natural education activities entitled “Showcasing the Beauty of Ecology, Passing down Civilizational Culture”. This prestigious recognition was announced by the Chinese Society of Forestry, highlighting the museum’s outstanding contributions to science communication. Launched in August 2023, the Liang Xi Science Popularization Prize selection process received a total of 149 eligible submissions, with 47 in the category of science activities. Out of these, 18 were honored with awards.

The Harbin Forest Museum, based on the theme “Showcasing the Beauty of Ecology, Passing down Civilizational Culture”, carried out a series of public education activities that promoted President Xi Jinping’s ecological civilization concepts and implemented the philosophy that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”. The museum organized several interactive exhibits, including an immersive display on the distribution of forests in China, experiential exhibitions on national parks and forest trails, an interactive exhibit on the endangered Crested Ibis, a rare animal specimen exhibition, and a legacy exhibit on the Spirit of Saihanba. Throughout the event, the museum welcomed over 40,000 visitors. The activities received extensive coverage from major media outlets such as Learning Strong Nation, Northeast Network, Central Broadcasting Network, Guangming Daily, The Paper, and Heilongjiang Network, achieving significant social impact.

For many years, the Harbin Forest Museum has leveraged the resources of forestry universities and its industry characteristics to serve educational and research purposes while focusing on national needs and public science education, with local societal development as its main theme. In the winter of 2024, the museum hosted the Oroqen ethnic group’s antler hats, attracting nearly 40,000 visitors, including actors, broadcasters, and students from all levels, turning the museum into a popular social media check-in spot and contributing to the development of Longjiang society. In 2023, the museum was designated by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration as one of the first “National Forestry and Grassland Science Popularization Bases”. Building on this platform, the Harbin Forest Museum aims to become a new landmark of forest culture, a new window for ecological civilization, and a new peak in science (nature) education. It is dedicated to “collecting and accumulating, educating and researching, displaying and communicating, civilization and progress,” bringing the artifacts housed within its walls to life and fostering more advocates for the sustainable philosophy that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”.