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National Museum of Natural Science 921 Earthquake Education Park

2025-05-06
886-4-23390906
台中市霧峰區新生路192號
At 1:47 a.m. on September 21, 1999, a magnitude-7.3 earthquake struck Taiwan—the largest the island had seen in a century—leaving behind devastating destruction. After the 921 quake, Kuang-Fu Junior High School in Wufeng District straddled the active Chelungpu Fault; the eastern half of its athletic field rose 2.5 m, and several school buildings were severely damaged or collapsed. The dramatic changes in both landform and structures were so pronounced that geologists surveying the epicentral area recommended preserving the ruptured campus as an “Earthquake Memorial Museum,” conserving the original fault trace and recording the event to serve as a vivid educational resource on earthquakes for the public and schools. The National Museum of Natural Science’s 921 Earthquake Education Park opened to the public on September 21, 2004. Its main galleries are the Chelungpu Fault Preservation Hall and the 921 Image Hall; a former swimming pool was converted into the “921 Family Pool.” The Fault Preservation Hall is highly educational, using models to explain how earthquakes form and how crustal displacement occurs. Hands-on exhibits allow visitors to learn about “earthquakes” in a lively way. At Kuang-Fu campus the 921 fault scarp is conspicuous; the maximum vertical displacement along the Chelungpu Fault reached 9.8 m, a geological spectacle rarely seen anywhere in the world. Inside the Image Hall, every photograph, video and audio record made during 921 is preserved. Precious historical materials show Taiwan’s seismic past. From history we witness nature’s changes; through disaster photos of horror-struck faces we feel people’s helplessness when the earth shook, reminding us of human frailty and life’s vulnerability. Yet in the face of calamity and ruthless change, the nobility of humanity also appears: in the photos, rescue workers’ compassionate, resolute eyes make us grateful for Taiwan’s compassion. A walk through the Image Hall leaves visitors not only awed by the outward devastation but also deeply moved within. Before exiting, models and panels showcase schools that won the Far Eastern Architectural Award “921 Campus Reconstruction Special Prize.” The beautiful, brand-new campuses radiate rebirth; history is turning a fresh, hopeful page. When you leave, leave the painful memories inside—take away only the strength born of fire, the resilience of life. With that belief, your visit will have been worthwhile.
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