Samaranch Memorial Museum is located in the Health Industry Park, West District of Tuanbo New Town, Jinghai District, Tianjin, and is a national 4A-level tourist attraction. The memorial takes the life story and Olympic contributions of Juan Antonio Samaranch, former president of the International Olympic Committee, as its core, and is a comprehensive venue integrating exhibition, education, research, and cultural exchange. Its feature lies in comprehensively showing Samaranch's profound connection with the Olympic Movement and his efforts to promote the development of global sports through a large number of precious physical exhibits, video materials, and interactive experience projects. The memorial covers an area of about 144,000 square meters with a construction area of 19,000 square meters. The main building combines Spanish style with modern architectural elements, with a unique appearance and clear internal functional divisions, providing a good visiting environment for tourists.
History and Culture
The establishment of the Samaranch Memorial Museum is closely related to Mr. Samaranch. Juan Antonio Samaranch (1920 - 2010) was a famous Spanish sports activist who served as the president of the International Olympic Committee from 1980 to 2001. During his tenure, he had a profound impact on the development of the Olympic Movement. He actively promoted the globalization of the Olympic Movement, facilitated sports and cultural exchanges between different countries and regions, and also provided important support for China's bid to host the Olympic Games.
To commemorate Mr. Samaranch's outstanding contributions to the Olympic Movement and inherit and carry forward the Olympic spirit, the Samaranch Memorial Museum came into being. The memorial was officially opened to the public in 2013. It houses a large number of precious items donated by Mr. Samaranch, including office supplies he used during his lifetime, honorary medals he received, photos with world political figures and sports personalities, relevant documents, etc. These collections witness Mr. Samaranch's life journey and the development history of the Olympic Movement.
Main Attractions
Main Exhibition Hall
The Main Exhibition Hall is the core area of the Samaranch Memorial Museum, with a construction area of about 12,000 square meters. Through several themed exhibition areas such as "The Life of Samaranch", "Samaranch and the Olympics", and "China and the Olympics", the hall systematically displays Samaranch's life story, his work experience in the International Olympic Committee, and the development process of the Olympic Movement. There are nearly 30,000 personal collections of Mr. Samaranch on display, including the 1992 Barcelona Olympic torch, the desk used by Samaranch when he was president of the International Olympic Committee, various Olympic medals, stamps, commemorative coins and other precious items. Through physical objects, pictures, videos and other forms, visitors can deeply understand the story of Samaranch and the Olympics.
Outdoor Sculpture Park
The Outdoor Sculpture Park covers an area of about 50,000 square meters, with many sculpture works related to the Olympic Movement placed in the park. These sculptures have rich themes, including athletes' movement postures, the Olympic rings logo, etc., and various artistic styles, including both realistic works and abstract creations. The sculpture park provides a place for visitors to relax, where they can enjoy sculpture art while feeling the vitality and charm of the Olympic Movement.
Olympic Movement Theme Exhibition Hall
The exhibition hall covers an area of about 800 square meters, focusing on the history, current situation and future development of the Olympic Movement. The hall displays emblems, mascots, competition equipment and other items from different Olympic Games, and introduces in detail the origin of the Olympic Games, important events in its development process, and the rules and characteristics of each event. In addition, the exhibition hall also allows visitors to experience virtual Olympic events through interactive multimedia equipment, enhancing the interest and sense of participation in the visit.
Food
Memorial Restaurant
The Samaranch Memorial Museum has a restaurant that offers various light meals and characteristic foods. The restaurant mainly serves Chinese-Western combined dishes to meet the taste needs of different visitors. Among them, the Olympic-themed set meal is one of the restaurant's features. The plating design of the set meal incorporates Olympic elements, such as dish combinations inspired by the Olympic rings, allowing visitors to feel a strong Olympic atmosphere while tasting the food. The restaurant has a clean and comfortable environment and moderate prices, making it a good choice for visitors to rest and dine.
Surrounding Food
Jinghai Braised Fish
In local restaurants in Jinghai not far from the memorial, you can taste authentic Jinghai braised fish. This dish uses fresh local fish, paired with tofu, vermicelli and other ingredients, and is slowly braised in a casserole. The soup is rich, and the fish is tender and flavorful. It is a characteristic home-cooked dish in Jinghai area, reflecting the local food culture.
Tianjin Fried Dough Twists
Famous Tianjin fried dough twists can be bought in specialty stores or snack bars around the memorial. Tianjin fried dough twists are made of flour, sesame, rock sugar and other raw materials, fried to be crispy and sweet with a unique shape. They are one of the traditional famous snacks in Tianjin, easy to carry and suitable as travel souvenirs.
Tickets
The ticket price is 60 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "萨马兰奇纪念馆" to get the latest news or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
It is open from 9:00 to 17:00 (admission stops at 16:30) from Tuesday to Sunday every week, and closed on Mondays (except legal holidays). In addition, during major festivals such as the Olympic Games and Samaranch's birthday anniversary, the memorial may extend its opening hours or hold special events. It is recommended that visitors check and confirm the specific opening hours through official channels before traveling.
Tour Route
After entering the Samaranch Memorial Museum, visitors can first go to the Main Exhibition Hall and visit in the order of "The Life of Samaranch", "Samaranch and the Olympics", and "China and the Olympics" to gain an in-depth understanding of Samaranch's life and Olympic contributions, which takes about 1.5 hours. Then go to the Olympic Movement Theme Exhibition Hall to learn about the development history and related knowledge of the Olympic Movement and experience interactive projects, which takes about 1 hour. After visiting the indoor exhibition halls, take a walk in the Outdoor Sculpture Park to enjoy the sculptures and relax, which takes about 1 hour. It is recommended to arrange 3.5 - 4 hours for the entire tour to fully experience each area of the memorial.
Transportation
- Bus: Take Jinghai Bus Line 872 and get off at Samaranch Memorial Museum Station, then walk for about 5 minutes to reach.
- Self-driving: Starting from the center of Tianjin, drive along Rongwu Expressway towards Jinghai, get off at Tuanbo New Town Exit, and drive about 3 kilometers according to the road signs to reach the memorial. The memorial has a parking lot with sufficient parking spaces, and the charging standard is 5 yuan per hour for small cars.
- Taxi/Online Car-hailing: Taking a taxi from the center of Tianjin to the Samaranch Memorial Museum takes about 40 - 50 minutes, with a cost of about 80 - 100 yuan.
Must-visit Attractions
- Main Exhibition Hall: It is the core of the memorial, collecting nearly 30,000 personal collections of Samaranch. Through rich exhibits and detailed introductions, it comprehensively shows the deep connection between Samaranch and the Olympics, and is a key attraction to understand Samaranch's life and the development of the Olympic Movement.
- Outdoor Sculpture Park: Covering an area of 50,000 square meters, it has many sculptures related to the Olympics. It is a good place to enjoy art and feel the Olympic atmosphere while relaxing.
Travel Suggestions
- It is recommended to arrange 3.5 - 4 hours for the tour to have enough time to carefully visit each exhibition hall and outdoor area.
- When visiting the Main Exhibition Hall, you can rent an audio guide device (rental fee is 20 yuan per unit) to gain a deeper understanding of the stories behind the exhibits.
- Visitors with children can focus on experiencing the interactive projects in the Olympic Movement Theme Exhibition Hall, allowing children to learn about Olympic knowledge while having fun.
- It is recommended to visit on non-holidays when there are fewer tourists, providing a better visiting experience.
Matters Needing Attention
- After entering the exhibition hall, please do not make loud noises, keep quiet, and abide by the order in the exhibition hall.
- Smoking and eating are prohibited in the hall. Please do not touch the exhibits and facilities, and take good care of the environment in the hall.
- Do not use flash when taking photos to avoid damaging the exhibits.
- Please take good care of your personal belongings during the visit to prevent loss.
- Abide by all the regulations of the memorial and follow the guidance and arrangements of the staff.