Children were invited to walk into the stomach of a 70m-long canvas balloon sperm whale at the opening of the “Wonderland of Animals and Insects of Taiwan” exhibition in Greater Taichung yesterday.
Serving as the exhibit’s main pavilion, the stomach of the inflatable whale can fit approximately 100 people inside at once to explore the marine environment around them. It features underwater animals and a sunken ship that are projected onto the canvas, inviting visitors to imagine that they have been swallowed by the whale, event organizer the Paper Windmill Cultural Foundation said.
More than 70 giant replicas of animals and insects will be displayed at Greater Taichung’s Wenhsin Forest Park (文心森林公園) starting on Children’s Day on April 4 to inspire kids to be interested in nature and learn about animals.
Photo: CNA
By making the insect replicas thousands of times larger than their original size, the foundation is aiming to make visitors see the world through the eyes of much smaller creatures and appreciate the magnificence of the bugs that they encounter every day.
Citing information from National Taiwan University’s Department and Graduate Institute of Entomology, the foundation said that about 85 percent of all the animal species discovered in the world so far are insects, amounting to more than 30 million species, an estimated 200,000 of which are found in Taiwan.
The exhibition also features animal-themed theatrical performances and recreational activities such as firefly bicycles, bat monkey bars or hoop throwing that families can enjoy together. It will run through April 14.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
RSS