Taitung County Natural History Education Museum Introduction
The Taitung County Natural History Education Museum was founded in 1985 in the Be shell Exhibition Hall at Sanxian Elementary School in Chenggong Township, Taitung County. In 1994, the provincial museum established the Taitung County Natural History Education Museum based on this foundation, systematically organizing, displaying, and researching the original shell specimens. The museum currently houses 557 species of shell specimens, and has added a mineral exhibition room that collects marine treasures and minerals from around the world. It combines natural resources with educational functions, making it the best classroom for understanding the precious marine and mountain resources of the East Coast. The establishment of the Taitung County Natural History Education Museum proves that the beautiful East Coast has more than just stunning sea and mountain views; the evolutionary evidence of organisms from the depths of the ocean is one of nature's most miraculous gifts. Among the highlighted collections of the Taitung County Natural History Education Museum are the Adam's apple conch and the dragon palace conch, both of which are regarded as living fossils. The Adam's apple conch belongs to the family of conchs that appeared around 570 million years ago and was rediscovered with living species at the end of the 19th century, hence it is considered a living fossil. The Adam's apple conch enjoys feeding on sponges and has not only a large and beautiful shell but also holds immense academic value, making it a precious specimen that shell researchers and collectors cannot afford to miss. The Adam's apple conch in the museum's collection was acquired in 1997, measures 10 cm in diameter, and originates from the deep sea of the Bahamas. The dragon palace conch is also regarded as a living fossil; between 1969 and 1970, a large number of dragon palace conchs were discovered in the waters of the Diaoyu Islands, which led to the “Dragon Palace Shell Shock” and subsequently spurred the establishment of the Malacological Society of the Republic of China. The dragon palace conch in the museum's collection measures 8.5 cm in diameter, belongs to the small variety of dragon palace conchs, and originates from the deep sea off the northeast coast of Taiwan. On the third floor of the Taitung County Natural History Education Museum, the mineral exhibition room displays over 200 specimens of rocks and minerals from Hualien and Taitung areas, including nephrite from the Coastal Mountain Range, Taiwan sapphires, and various other gemstones. It provides visitors with a way to recognize and understand the applications and value of these beautiful stones in craftsmanship through a comparison of raw stones and carved pieces. The first discovery of the Taiwan sapphire raw stone occurred during the period of Japanese colonial rule in Taiwan when it was found by Indigenous people at Dulan Mountain. It is a blue translucent stone measuring 70 cm high, 30 cm wide, and 30 cm long, officially sparking a treasure-hunting craze in the East Coast Mountain Range. Currently, while small raw stones can occasionally be found in the East Coast Mountain Range, the original mines have ceased production. The Taiwan sapphire raw stone in the museum's collection measures 29.5 cm high, 21 cm wide, and 21 cm long, and was acquired in 1998.
