Around 2,000 fossils were donated to Guangzhou Museum recently. The treasured collection is expected to be open to the public in the first half of this year.

The fossils, covering millions of years from the Cambrian period to the appearance of humans, is by far the largest natural collection acquired by the Guangzhou Museum. Some are very rare and include six complete large skeleton fossils.

The donor, Liu Jinshan, is a well-known geological expert and collector.

Meanwhile Guangzhou Museum will exhibit more than 200 articles of clothing and adornments from the Qing Dynasty.

In another development, all museums in Guangzhou will open free to the public every third Wednesday of each month this year. But visitors still have to pay five yuan for admission to Yuexiu Park where the museum is located.

(Shenzhen Daily January 14, 2005)