Hairy Rhinoceros Skeletons Link French, Chinese Museums

Beijing, 20 May (ONA) --- A complete hairy rhinoceros skeleton has been on display for a century at France's National Museum of Natural History, while a similar specimen found in the same Chinese location is showcased at Beijiang Museum in Tianjin, China. Beijiang Museum is a century-old hidden treasure nestled in the heart of the Wudadao historical urban area, a popular tourist destination in the downtown area of Tianjin.

The museum houses over 400,000 fossils and specimens of animals, plants, rocks, minerals and ancient humans.

Its founder, French naturalist Paul Emile Licent, arrived in Tianjin in March 1914 and spent 25 years documenting northern China's natural history. Licent's legacy includes the first discovery of Paleolithic cultural relics in China, revolutionizing Chinese Paleolithic archaeology.

The museum remains a "living fossil" with its original site, collections, and documents intact.

---Ends/Thuraiya/KH