Seconds after squeezing through the entrance, visitors quickly made for the quaint plant sculpture display. Colossal floral dogs loom over swarms of camera-wielding tourists, providing spectacular backdrops for family photos.

Reaching the first exhibition hall -- achieved by squirming one's way through a labyrinth of people -- is an adventure in itself. Beetles are to be found here and the only disappointing thing is that most of them are dead and impaled in display cases.

The few that escaped this fate seem to have developed extreme camera shyness and spend the majority of their time hiding under leaves. The most fascinating part of this exhibit has to be the price some of these beetles can fetch. One lustrous gold beetle is worth its weight in gold while another is valued at NT$10 million.

Further down the track is the Green Expo's Forest Theater, which is featuring three computer animated movies. The kids' favorite would have to be the short 4D cartoon -- Forest Adventure. After all that excitement one plummets back to earth with a splash only to find themselves in a show of Taiwan's aquatic plant life.

Most of these plants come from nearby Yuan Shan(員山) -- the meeting point for the isles northern and southern species. The area is unique in Taiwan as it is also home to many rare and endemic types of water plant. The main message to be found here is to protect our precious waterways, not only for the benefit of nature but also for the wellbeing of humankind.

Up next is the Energy exhibit. It is pretty lame compared to previous years, with the main attraction being a water curtain TV. Light is projected from a regular projector TV onto a sheet of flowing water, which gives the picture a curious glow. Continued viewing of the set is not recommended as the rippling image may induce a sensation of mal de mer.

The Brazilian hall makes one wish that one had spent more time recharging on the static ball in the Energy exhibit. Here one comes face to face with the infamous red piranha. Anyone questioning the ferocity of this unsightly fish need only wiggle their finger in the tank for a few seconds.

The inviting smell of freshly brewed coffee leads the now distracted observer past the various native cultural artifacts to the small food court featuring Brazilian snacks and produce. But wait! Is that the sound of samba drifting through the air? Dashing outside with coffee and ice-cream in hand -- fumbling for the camera -- one is confronted by a large crowd of drooling men. These four sensuous Brazilian nymphs have achieved with the rhythmic shaking of hips what no other exhibit has yet managed -- keeping the undivided attention of a legion of expo-goers. The last show room -- as exhilarating as it is -- would probably be totally overlooked if those dancing beauties didn't take a break. Spiders are what it features and, unlike in the beetle hall, most of these critters are very much alive! The large and hairy Continental American spiders are enough to put a shiver down anyone's spine.

If the mere sight of these nightmare-inducing arachnids doesn't intimidate, then stick around for feeding time, when little blind mice drop into the tanks of bird-eating spiders. Unlike other expositions, the grounds at Wu Lao Keng (武荖坑) are endowed with vast treed areas and a pristine river habitat -- the perfect place to picnic and escape the herds.

Additional Information:

Opening Hours: 9 a.m.- 6 p.m.,

from March 18 ~to May 14, 2006

Location: Wu Lao Keng Scenic Area (武荖坑風景區)

Directions

Bus: Guo Guang Bus Co. (國光客運)

From Taipei Main Station.

Price NT$230. Ph: 02-2588 3060

Train: Get off at Suao Xin Station (蘇澳新站).

Take the Yilan Green Expo bus (Guo Guang Bus Co.) Leaves every half hour. Price: NT$20