Taiyuan's free-to-visit Weapons Exhibition Hall — North University of China Weapons Exhibition Hall

Step into North University of China in Taiyuan, Shanxi, and you'll find main battle tanks lying by the south gate stadium and helicopters crouching in front of the east gate building. People might wonder, what kind of school is so bold that weapons are openly displayed like toys in the open space? This is North University of China, one of the "Seven Sons of National Defense," specializing in weapons. The Weapons Exhibition Hall has existed for a long time, housing various real weapons for students to disassemble and familiarize themselves with their structure and performance. It used to be open only to students, but now a new hall has been built, and starting from October 1, 2025, it will be open to everyone for free with an ID card. The North University of China Weapons Exhibition Hall is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Please do not visit on Mondays and Sundays. The Anti-Aircraft Gun Hall is very eye-catching with a large number of anti-aircraft guns, including howitzers, cannons, anti-tank guns, and anti-aircraft guns. There are also anti-aircraft machine guns used to intercept low-altitude reconnaissance aircraft and armed helicopters. The Yingji-61 anti-ship missile is designed to target ships, with a range of 220 kilometers. The Small Arms Hall features field guns, mortars, and individual anti-armor rounds that evoke a World War II battlefield scene. Although these vintage weapons are cold, they shine with the heat of that intense battlefield. The second-to-last photo shows the Type 72 85mm anti-aircraft gun, with a maximum altitude of 16,000 meters and a maximum range of 21,000 meters. Only four of these remain nationwide, stored respectively at North University of China, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Shenyang University of Technology, and the Inner Mongolia Baotou National Defense Military Industry Culture Park. The last photo shows the Type 83 122mm howitzer, with an initial velocity of 618 meters per second, developed by North University of China itself, and it once won the National Science and Technology Progress First Prize. Of course, the exhibits are mostly outdated equipment. Currently, North University's latest achievement is the "Patrol Flying Gun," which is mounted on drones with very low recoil and can eliminate targets upon detection. There is also the Metal Storm, the last line of defense on aircraft carriers, used only if missile mid-course interception fails. The multi-barrel gun fires at extremely high rates with a large amount of ammunition, creating an impenetrable protective net around the carrier to destroy incoming missiles. In this year's September 3rd military parade, six out of more than ten formations showcased North University's achievements. You might think weapons are North University's strongest specialty, but actually, its leading discipline is Instrument Science and Technology. The black boxes used in the Shenzhou, Tiangong, and Chang'e series were developed and produced by this department. The vector hydrophone that broke the U.S. monopoly on submarines also comes from this specialty. It seems this school is quite impressive. The opening of the North University of China Weapons Exhibition Hall provides Taiyuan residents with another option for leisure and patriotic education. Along with the on-campus Railway Theme Park, Berlin Garden, Erlongshan, and the Old Dragon Head Park at the school gate, visiting all these spots takes a whole day.