Taichung Aquarium makes a splash with open design
台中水族館採用開放式設計，引人注目
| TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taichung Aquarium will open to the public on Aug. 21, following 14 years of planning and development, the Taichung City Government announced Tuesday.
With an investment of NT$1.3 billion (US$40 million), the five-story, 22,500-square-meter facility represents a major milestone in Taiwan’s marine education and conservation efforts. Located in Taichung’s coastal Qingshui District, the aquarium is the most advanced marine biology museum in the country, according to Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕). The aquarium’s most distinctive feature is its fully open design, which moves away from traditional enclosed displays to allow visitors closer and more dynamic views of marine life. Each floor presents a different theme. The first floor includes two main exhibition areas featuring immersive, theater-grade projections and a large ocean tank home to Pacific species such as sharks and rays. The second floor houses Taiwan’s first open-display penguin exhibit, providing up-close encounters with the animals. The third floor focuses on the Dajia River ecosystem, emphasizing the link between freshwater environments and ocean conservation. The fourth floor introduces the country’s first indoor wetland experience zone and features Taiwan’s largest rectangular tank for garden eels. Interactive zones throughout the aquarium promote hands-on learning. A standout feature is a wading area modeled after the nearby Gaomei Wetlands, where visitors can walk through shallow waters, observe aquatic life, and take in views of Taichung Port and the surrounding wetlands. The facility also includes an aquatic animal rescue and rehabilitation center to promote responsible pet ownership and discourage the release of non-native species into the wild. A fully open breeding and conservation area further supports its educational mission. According to the Taichung Tourism and Travel Bureau, the exhibits follow a curatorial journey “from the rivers of Taichung to the world’s oceans,” integrating the region’s natural landscapes into the museum experience. The aquarium is expected to become a major attraction along Taichung’s coastal corridor, complementing nearby destinations such as the Gaomei Wetlands and Wuqi Fishing Port. |
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| Charlotte Lee Taiwan News, Staff Writer | |
| 2025-08-06 |
