The Capital Museum Media and Press Department has announced that the museum will extend its opening hours during the National day holiday. The closing time from October 3 to 5 will be extended from 5 o'clock to 9 o'clock in the evening.

Five special exhibitions have been running in the museum since the opening of the Olympic Games. They are "The memory of China: treasures along its 5,000-year civilization," "Civilization along Yangtze River," "Games inside and outside the Forbidden City," "Exhibition of Beijing cultural treasures" and "The spirit of competition in Ancient Greece."

More than 500,000 people have visited the museum since the day of the Olympic Opening Ceremony. The five exhibitions have been very well-received by visitors. Since the five special exhibitions will finish shortly after the National Day holiday, the museum has taken steps to host more visitors during the holiday.

The Capital Museum opens its permanent exhibitions to the public for free. To take advantage of this scheme a reservation must be made three days in advance, and visitors must be equipped with valid IDs and their reservation numbers.

Routes:

Subway: Muxidi Station, Line 1

Buses: Bus No. 1, No. 4, No. 52 and No. 37 to the stop "Gonghuidalou" (Labor Union Building)

No. 937, No. 727, No. 717, No. 650, No. 708, No. 26, No. 319 to the stop Baiyun Rd.

Special Bus No. 1 to the stop "Muxidi"

Reservation hotline: 63370491 63370492 63393339

(China.org.cn by Celine Chen, September 26, 2008)