Tainan City Zuojhen Fossil Park

The Tainan City Zuojhen Fossil Park is a fossil gallery located in Zuojhen District, Tainan, Taiwan. Opened on 12 May 2019, it represents the consolidation of three predecessor institutions into a single, purpose-built venue dedicated to paleontological and natural history education. The park occupies a 9,000-square-meter site and functions as Taiwan's only fossil-themed park, drawing on the internationally recognized fossil deposits of the nearby Cailiao Stream area to present the region's deep geological and evolutionary history.

The park's origins trace back to the Cailiao Fossil Museum, which opened in 1981 to house and display fossils from the Zuojhen area. The stratum of Cailiao Stream in Zuojhen District possesses a unique structure that has yielded abundant fossils of ancient organisms, earning recognition both locally and internationally as a world-famous fossil area. Decades later, the Tainan City government undertook a major consolidation project, combining the former Tsai-liao Fossil Museum, the Natural History Educational Hall, and the Guangrong Elementary School to create an expanded, modern institution. This new entity, the Tainan City Zuojhen Fossil Park, opened to the public on 12 May 2019. The opening drew significant public interest, with over 30,000 visitors attending the grand opening events.

The park's collections center on land and sea animal fossils excavated from the Zuojhen region, with particular strength in land vertebrate specimens. The holdings include mammals such as mammoth, stegodon, and Formosa sika deer, as well as marine specimens including crocodile and shellfish fossils. The collections also encompass significant paleoanthropological and cultural materials. The Zuozhen Man fossil, dating to the same era as China's Upper Cave Man, represents a key human fossil find. The park also preserves original Sinckan Manuscripts and relics of the Siraya tribe, connecting geological and indigenous cultural history. The institution serves as an irreplaceable repository of Taiwan's fossil heritage and functions as a natural science teaching resource.

Among the park's signature exhibits, the Zuozhen Man skull stands out as a major paleoanthropological specimen. The full skeleton of the Hayasaka rhino serves as the central attraction of the Fossil Hall. A restored skeleton of the Hayasaka Rhino is prominently displayed, and the park features a simulated longitudinal section of the rock strata of Zuojhen at the Natural History Education Hall. The Evolution Hall presents dinosaur models in the atrium, illustrating the period when dinosaurs dominated the Earth before mammalian ascendancy. Interactive augmented reality installations allow visitors to explore the past and present of the Tsai-liao River. The park also honors Chen Chun-mu, known as the Fossil Grandpa of Taiwan, whose lifetime of excavation work substantially built the collections.

The Tainan City Zuojhen Fossil Park spans 9,000 square meters and is organized into five major exhibition halls. The Natural History Education Hall contains interactive features including fossil excavation activities and a simulated riverbed for fossil observation. The History Hall presents materials on Hsin-Hua Hill and Siraya tribal culture alongside the story of Chen Chun-mu. The Evolution Hall traces the transition of marine organisms to land and the age of dinosaurs. The Fossil Hall centers on the Hayasaka rhino skeleton and AR installations. The Exploration Hall contains a working fossil lab where staff demonstrate excavation, repair, and restoration techniques, plus a magic coloring classroom with interactive controls.

The Tainan City Zuojhen Fossil Park is located in Zuojhen District, Tainan City, Taiwan. It operates under municipal government ownership and management, with the official website at http://fossil.tnc.gov.tw/. The park is open Tuesday through Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00, with Wednesday as the weekly closure day. Contact is available by telephone at +886-6-5731174, by fax at +886-6-5732677, or by email at fossil36@mail.tainan.gov.tw. The facility offers handicapped access and maintains a Facebook presence for public engagement.