Geeking out the fun way

A “feminine” side of the city emerges through the Art Museum and the architecture along the green parkway, while a more “masculine edge” can be found in the science museum and rainforest greenhouse.

Before we depart on our entertaining and educational route, lets fill our bellies up with noodle soup found only in Taichung City.

Slurp Down Taichung's Local Delicacy

A seemingly ordinary bowl of noodle soup is in fact a local treasure. The texture and taste of Taichung's famous Da mien geng just can't be imitated.

Known as Da mien geng – literally thick noodle stew – the draw of the noodles lie in well-cooked, but never over-cooked strands. Because of the noodles' unusual thickness, cooking Da mien geng right – average cooking time is 40 to 50 minutes – takes years to master.

Just the right amount of deep-fried pork fat, spring onions and leeks sprinkled on top adds extra flavor to the thick noodles. I like a bit of heat, so I topped the dish with hot dried radish cubes to complete my Da mien geng experience.

A delightful little place called Yingcai Road Thick Noodle Soup has been serving Da mien geng (NT$25) for half a century. With the second generation currently managing the restaurant, said owner Chen Ming-xien, the taste has stayed authentic.

Now that the tummy is full, it's time to get the brain working.

National Museum of Natural Science

The National Museum of Natural Science that is divided into four big sections – the Space Theater and Science Center, the Life Science Hall, the Chinese Science Hall, and the Global Environmental Hall – was the first of three science museums in Taiwan, attracting 3 million visitors a year.

As the only system of its type in Taiwan, the Space Theater features a planetarium, measuring 23 meters in diameter and tilting at a 30-degree angle, offering viewers an out-of-this-world experience.

The Science Center, to the theaters' left, contains areas for exploration that covers astronomy and weather, and the so-called “Fantastic World of Matter” – based on chemistry and physics.

The intriguing “Exploration!” area focuses on human perceptions of visual, audio and color, including sensory illusions, order and chaos, and modern physics.

The Distorted Room, for example, allows visitors to walk into a full-size room with non-parallel, receding walls and disproportionate windows that create the illusion of a drastic height difference as people walk from one corner to another.

Stargazers will find a lot to love on the third floor, showcasing general space and earth science. Visitors can interact with a solar system model while basic concepts and theories are being explained.

The “Fantastic World of Matter” is a perfect place for kids as it really is so fantastic. This area revolutionarily transforms challenging concepts in books into great fun and comprehensive knowledge, like showing how bubbles are formed instead of explaining it in words.

Opposite the center is the Life Science Hall – a home to interesting creatures, and my favorite spot! Models such as gigantic insects during prehistoric times, polar bears, and apes were built for this hall.

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