A Guiness Record Certificate was issued Thursday by the Guiness Book of Records' Headquarters in Shanghai to the Dalian Laohutan Museum naming it as the world's largest museum for polar region marine animals.

The museum in northeast China's Liaoning Province cost 400 million yuan to construct and will be open for business on April 28.

Composed of the Polar Region Hall and the Sea Beasts Hall, the museum houses 153 polar sea animals of 11 species.

Animals on display include beluga, sea elephants, polar bears, fur seals, sea otters, duckers, enguins, Chinese sturgeons, dolphins and sea dogs.

The museum has the facilities to cope with over 1.5 million tourists a year.

(Xinhua News Agency April 26, 2002)