"Prehistoric Monsters ― Paleontological Exhibition," the first large-scale natural science exhibition to be organized for Taiwan's offshore islands, will take place at the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Kinmen County (Jan. 12 - Feb. 24, 2019), the Penghu Living Museum (May 25 - Sept. 28, 2019), and the National Taiwan Museum's Nanmen Park (Dec. 31, 2019 - March 1, 2020).
Legends say that a long time ago, there was a ferocious monster called the "Nian," with the head of a lion and the body of an ox. The Nian spent its time sleeping in the deep mountains, only emerging during the Lunar New Year to look for food. People would set off firecrackers, bang drums and gongs, and put up pieces of red paper to scare it away from crops and livestock. But was the Nian really that terrible?
Exhibition co-organizer National Taiwan Museum noted that most human fear stems from a lack of understanding. A better understanding of the natural environment and animal behaviors may help to better preserve the bio-diversity of our planet Earth, the Taipei-based museum added.
To help foster cultural equity, the NTM worked with the county governments of Kinmen and Penghu to hold "Prehistoric Monsters ― Paleontological Exhibition." The exhibition of prehistoric animal fossils and replicated artifacts introduces the history and ecology of Earth and how it has evolved over time. Residents of offshore islands will be able to learn more about the effects of human activity on animals and ecology.
As the oldest Taiwanese museum with an extensive natural science collection, NTM has been working to develop more traveling exhibitions on the natural history of Earth and Taiwan. This will be the first exhibition to be held in partnership with Kinmen and Penghu and represents an important milestone in recent efforts to provide children and residents of offshore islands with professional scientific knowledge and learning resources.
Prehistoric creatures are defined as lifeforms that lived on Earth around 3.8 billion years ago to roughly 3,500 B.C., when mankind began to keep written records. Over 99% are now extinct, leaving behind only their remains, footprints, or other fossilized traces.
Visit the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Kinmen County or the Penghu Living Museum for a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with these prehistoric behemoths, including models of the Tuojiangosaurus, Velociraptor, Archaeopteryx, Mammoth, Hayasaki's Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros chinesis hayasaki), Teihard's Buffalo (Bubalus teilhardi), and Saber-toothed Tiger as well as fossils of dinosaur eggs.
Kinmen
Penghu
- Date: May 25 – Sept. 28, 2019
- Venue: Penghu Living Museum
- Address: No.230 Jhonghua Rd., Magong City, Penghu County, Taiwan (ROC)
- Site: https://www.phlm.nat.gov.tw/en/
Taipei
- Date: Dec. 31, 2019 - March 1, 2020
- Venue: National Taiwan Museum, Nanmen Park
- Address: No. 1 Nanchang Road Section 1, Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan (ROC)
- Site: https://event.culture.tw/NTM