Geeking out the fun way

The most extraordinary of all is the 4-meter tall and 7-meter long Tyrannosaurus rex model, which, like a miniature “Jurassic Park”, suddenly comes alive! Indeed, the made-in-Japan animated replica has often surprised visitors, including myself, with its moving arms, eyes, tail, and even sound, designed to be scientifically accurate.

In the “Human Body” section, human beings' stories are told in four chapters – “birth, aging, sickness and death.” Visitors are presented with a 2,000-year-old mummy of an Egyptian man in his early 20s in the last chapter of death, which questions the mystery of afterlife.

The Chinese Science Hall is special because it's rare to find museums recording the history of Chinese Science or displaying items from local aboriginal tribes.

An eye-catching artifact is the water-powered sphere and globe clock of the Northern Sung Dynasty that occupies the center of the hall's first and second floor. Every level of the towered-clock houses mini-wooden royal guards that rotate in a full 360 degrees – each of them measures a certain second, minute or hour of the day.

The Global Environmental Hall features exhibitions of earth science and geology. A mini zoo is in this hall as well.

The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, admission is NT$150 for adults, NT$120 for students and free for children.

Note: An additional fee is required for the theaters. The Space theater: NT$100 for adults and NT$70 for students. The 3-D theater: NT$70 for adults and NT$50.

Now hop across Xitun Road Sec. 1 to a local rainforest.

It's Not Easy Being Green

It's hard to resist the call of the wild when you arrive in the Botanical Garden of the National Museum of Natural Science, where city dwellers can get up close and personal with Taiwan's native plants.

The 4.96-hectare garden, which opened in 1999, is a much-needed green space in the city center currently housing a diverse collection of rainforest trees and plants from all over the world and about 2,000 live species.

The main focus in the garden is perhaps the most prominent, distinctive landmark – the Tropical Rainforest Greenhouse. Only by entering the giant glass greenhouse will visitors realize how astonishing the place is.

The spider-shaped glass greenhouse is about 31 meters tall and 56 meters across. With the outer frame constructed of high precision steel and glass, it contains 300 species of rain forest plants, including coffee and cocoa trees, to simulate the complex rainforest environment. It even rains in there, too!

Visitors can walk along paths bordered by tropical plants and tall trees, and enjoy the view of a natural-looking manmade waterfall. The path then leads visitors to an air-conditioned basement, where a 14-foot long aquarium features fish and other aquatic creatures from the Amazon River.

A series of smaller aquariums housing tetra fish and piranhas are their neighbors, creating a fascinating atmosphere to charm young and old.

Note: The greenhouse is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is NT$20.

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