SHENZHEN — The Shenzhen Natural History Museum has generated excitement usually reserved for blockbuster concerts after its free trial reservation system crashed under overwhelming demand just days before its long-awaited official opening.

Located in Pingshan district, the museum is the largest comprehensive natural history museum in southern China, totaling 105,300 square meters of floor area.

The museum features eight themed exhibition halls, presenting a narrative spanning the cosmos, Earth’s evolution, the history of life, and the natural landscapes of Shenzhen’s local mountains and seas.

The much-loved collection of taxidermied animal specimens, donated by American billionaire and philanthropist Kenneth E Behring, has been moved in from Shenzhen Museum.

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The museum is hosting two test events on Wednesday and Friday, offering a total of 13,000 free slots. When the reservation channel opened on the official mini-program at 9 am on Monday, a massive influx of users instantly overwhelmed the system, causing the server to crash.

Social media platforms were quickly flooded with user complaints. Many reported being unable to log in, with pages freezing or failing to load entirely. “The system crashed the moment it opened,” one user wrote. “I started trying at 9:00 a.m. and finally managed to book at 1:00 pm,” commented another.

For those who missed out on the trial slots, the museum has reassured the public that the halls will be fully open when the museum officially opens on July 28. Ticket prices and booking procedures will be announced soon through the museum’s WeChat public.

This article is based on an original report in Chinese  published on the official website of Shenzhen Special Zone Daily.