Despite the ongoing destruction of Beijing's numerous hutong neighborhoods and the city's rush to embrace a modern future made up of shiny skyscrapers and ringed by arterial roads, the number of museums in China's historically-rich capital has actually been growing at a hefty pace. According to Xinhua, "At least 40 museums opened … in Beijing over the past decade," and the first 6 months of 2007 saw seven new museums start to receive visitors. Now, in especially good news for those who enjoy exploring the city's ancient past, an annual pass to a large chunk of Beijing's museums for 2008 is now available. The new pass went on sale last Thursday and for a mere 80 kuai, gives you access to an unprecedented 98 (up from last year's 88) museums across the capital. The pass grants free access to 51 venues around the city, saving holders up to RMB 2,600 in entrance fees. And it offers entry to more than simply museums, with venues on the list including a range of temples and former residences.

When you buy the pass, you not only get a ticket but a complete package that includes a detailed introduction to every museum, maps of their layout and location and even a suggested strategy for tackling some of Beijing's more formidable institutions. Unfortunately, all this information is only available in Chinese. This year they have added an extra 11 new museums (we presume one must have closed) including the Poly Art Museum, the Chinese Post and Stamp Museum, the Former Residence of Li Dazhao, the Old Beijing Folk Art Museum, the Beijing Imperial Exam and Stele Museum and Sony ExploraScience in Chaoyang Park.

Passes can be purchased at major branches of the post office or Paper Tiger Book Store. You can also call their hotline (6221 3256/75) for free delivery within the Fourth Ring Road as well as to Zhongguancun and Lido.

Major sites covered by the Museum Pass include:
Capital Museum
Beijing Planetarium
Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall
Ancient Observatory
Confucius Temple
Beijing Botanical Garden
Lu Xun Museum
Zhihua Temple
Mao Dun’s Former Residence
Cao Xueqin Former Residence

For more information, take a peek at the comprehensive sightseeing chapter in the recently released 2008 edition of the Insiders Guide to Beijing which not only includes an introduction to the 2008 museum pass, but also includes write ups of most of the museums and other venues that the pass allows you access to. For details of how to get your hands on a copy of the book, click here.

Links and Sources:
Official Site of the Museum Pass
The Beijing News: 明年持通票可逛98博物馆
Xinhua: Beijing sees fast increase of museums