“A tank named ‘Little Vagabond’?” I ask, peering at you all. “What a peculiar name for a war machine!” We stand before the Tank Museum (坦克博物馆), Asia’s only museum dedicated to these steel behemoths. The Tank Museum, located between the Summer Palace and the Badaling section of the Great Wall, houses a fascinating collection of armored vehicles. Notice the tank parked right out front. The prominent “bayi” (August 1st) emblazoned on it commemorates the founding of the People’s Liberation Army.
Inside this vast museum, nearly 1,400 artifacts, photos, and illustrations tell the story of China’s armored forces. The exhibits also cover the global development of tank technology. Eleven rooms display the evolution of tanks, from that quirky “Little Vagabond,” a British Mark I tank used in World War I, to the most advanced modern battle tanks. The museum’s collection includes everything from China’s own Type 59 medium tank to Japan’s Type 90, one of the world’s most expensive tanks ever built.
The collection spans history. It showcases iconic tanks like the Soviet T-34, renowned for its long service life. There are even tanks captured by the PLA from the Kuomintang army during the Chinese Civil War. Each vehicle within the Tank Museum stands as a testament to human ingenuity, both in creation and, unfortunately, in destruction. The museum highlights crucial stages in tank development, from early prototypes to the powerful machines we see today. Some of the museum’s prized exhibits include a prototype of the powerful Feng Bao-1 (Windstorm-1) main battle tank and an experimental heavy tank prototype. You can also see a captured Japanese Type 94 light tank and an American LVT(A)-4 amphibious armored vehicle. This place offers a powerful lens through which to view the history of armored warfare.