Cutting the carbon

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Zhu says she will make further visits because there is still so much of the 34,000-square-meter museum to explore.

"We are glad she loves it and will bring her back," says her father, Bao Dongdong.

The central government proposed the development of a low-carbon city in 2006, which gave the Hangzhou authorities the idea of building the museum in a bid to make environmental education more thought-provoking.

More than 100 programs integrating science knowledge with fun interactions are available for visitors. Most are free, except the two theaters featuring scientific films, such as the one about marine life. Each film lasts roughly 40 minutes and is priced from 15 yuan ($2.25) to 30 yuan.