Taitung County Natural History Education Museum Introduction
Taitung County Natural History Education Museum was established in 1985 as a shell display hall at Sanxian Elementary School in Chenggong Township, Taitung County. In 1994, the Provincial Museum set up the Taitung County Natural History Education Museum based on this foundation, systematically organizing, displaying, and researching the original shell specimens. Currently, the museum houses 557 types of shell specimens and has added a mineral display room that collects marine treasures and minerals from around the world, combining natural resources and educational functions. It serves as the best classroom to understand the precious marine and mountainous resources hidden along the East Coast. The establishment of the Taitung County Natural History Education Museum proves that the beautiful East Coast is not just about the sea, sky, and mountains; the evolutionary evidence of organisms from the depths of the ocean is indeed nature's most marvelous gift. Among the shell specimens in the museum, the Adam's apple cone snail and the Ryugu cone snail, both considered living fossils, draw the most attention. The Adam's apple cone snail, belonging to the family Conidae, appeared 570 million years ago and was rediscovered in the late 19th century, earning it the label of a living fossil. It enjoys a diet of sponges and not only has a large and beautiful shell but also holds high academic value, making it a precious specimen not to be missed by shell researchers or collectors. The Adam's apple cone snail specimen in the Taitung County Natural History Education Museum, acquired in 1997, has a diameter of 10 cm and originates from the deep sea of the Bahamas. The Ryugu cone snail is also regarded as a living fossil; a large number of Ryugu cone snails were discovered in the waters around the Diaoyu Islands between 1969 and 1970, causing a "Ryugu shell shock," which subsequently led to the establishment of the Conchology Society of the Republic of China. The museum's collection of Ryugu cone snails, with a diameter of 8.5 cm, belongs to the small variety and is sourced from the deep sea in the northeastern waters of Taiwan. On the third floor of the Taitung County Natural History Education Museum, the mineral display room exhibits over 200 pieces of rocks and minerals from Hualien and Taitung regions, including jade from the Coastal Mountain Range, Taiwanese sapphires, and various gemstones. The display juxtaposes raw stones with crafted items, providing visitors with insights into the application and value of these beautiful stones in craftsmanship. The first discovery of raw Taiwanese sapphires occurred during the Japanese colonial period in Taiwan when indigenous people found them in Dulan Mountain. This blue semi-transparent stone, measuring 70 cm in height, 30 cm in width, and 30 cm in length, sparked a treasure-hunting craze in the Coastal Mountain Range. Currently, apart from occasionally finding small raw stones along the Coastal Mountain Range, the original mineral vein is no longer in production. The museum's collection of Taiwanese sapphire raw stones measures 29.5 cm in height, 21 cm in width, and 21 cm in length, and was acquired in 1998.
