An Urban Oasis:

Taichung's Botanical Gardens

By Cheryl Robbins & Dr. Yen Hsin-fu

The long-awaited opening of the Botanical Garden of the National Museum of Natural Science took place on July 23, 1999 with a ribbon cutting ceremony and speeches by such dignitaries as the Minister of Education Yang Chau-hsiang, Taichung Mayor Chang Wen-ying and the Director of the National Museum of Natural Science Chow Yien-shing.
This Botanical Garden is a much-needed green space right in the heart of Taichung, located on Hsitun Rd. across from the science museum. This garden has an area of approximately 4.5 hectares, and can be divided into two parts. The first is the Tropical Rain Forest Greenhouse, which is the centerpiece and most obvious landmark of the garden.
The greenhouse measures about 31 meters in height and approximately 56 meters in diameter. The outer frame is constructed of high precision steel and glass. Inside is a simulated rain forest, complete with rain, where you can walk along paths bordered by lush green plants and tall trees or relax by a waterfall. In the basement, is an aquarium featuring fish and other aquatic life from the Amazon River.

The second part of the Botanical Garden consists of the grounds outside the greenhouse, which focus on Taiwan's lowland vegetation, and are divided into several plant ecology exhibit areas that reveal the characteristic flora and landscapes from a variety of regions in Taiwan. Signs in English and Chinese give a brief introduction to each area.

There is the central lowland area with deciduous plants and underground cover found in the region between Ta-an Chi and Cho-shui Chi. There is a collection of 66 plants in this area, and a small hill atop which you can view the garden from a different perspective. In the large northern lowland area, there are 80 species of plants from the I-lan Plain, the northern coast and the Taoyuan Terrace. This area is subdivided into tree ferns, dry river valley and windward ridge. In the southern lowland (savannah forest) area, there are 20 species of plants from the region between Cho-shui Chi and Fong-kang Chi, covering Chia-nan Plain and stretching up to Pingtung Plain.

This is a very important agricultural region in Taiwan, but most of the natural vegetation has been cut down and replaced by waste grasslands. In the Taitung cycas (eastern lowland) area are 50 species of plants, some with a very unique shape. Eighty species of tropical plants in the Orchid Island area create a miniature of this volcanic island located southeast of Taiwan. On this island, the Yami (Tau) tribe has developed a unique ethnobotanical culture. The littoral forest (strand forest) area includes 40 species of plants which have light, fibrous and buoyant fruits that float, helping to develop woods at the mouths of rivers, bays and on shallow shores.

In the monsoon rain forest area, there are dense thickets and flat continuous canopies. Here, a collection of 60 species of plants can be seen along four paths radiating from a central pool. The coral atoll area in front of the Tropical Rain Forest Greenhouse is one of the many highlights of the outdoor area. The 60 species of coral atoll plants, sandy beach, water and waves, create the feeling of a little Kenting. With more than 700 species of plants in the greenhouse and outdoor areas, the visitor can enjoy the aesthetic beauty while learning about plant ecology.

Also located on the grounds of the Botanical Garden is the Special Exhibit Center. From now until January 2, 2000, the featured exhibit is on succulents. Succulents are plants with thick fleshy leaves or stems.

These fleshy parts are used to store water, as succulents usually inhabit dry regions. The most familiar succulents are the desert cacti. But, there are many other succulents featured, some with very unique flowers and fruit, and even some from the high mountains of Taiwan, as well as other regions of the world.

Also, don't want miss out on seeing the unique time-flow clock. This clock is located on Hsitun Rd., near the path leading to the greenhouse, and uses liquid flow to keep track of time. It consists of a series of glass pipes with colored liquid. The flow of the liquid drives the pendulum, and the time (hour and minutes) can be determined by the heights of the liquid columns.

The Tropical Rain Forest Greenhouse and Special Exhibit Center are open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The outdoor exhibit areas are open at all times. Admission to the greenhouse is NT$20, and to the outdoor exhibit areas is free. The Special Exhibit Center can be entered by showing your ticket stub for the museum or the Tropical Rain Forest Greenhouse.

-- The National Museum of Natural Science is located at No. 1, Kuan-chien Rd., Taichung. Tel: (04)322-6940. Lights go out in the outdoor exhibit areas at 10 p.m., and people should not enter after that time.