921 Earthquake Museum – Taipei Times

A must-see memorial and educational experience set in the ruins of Taichung Middle School, straddling the fault line that wreaked havoc on Taiwan 25 years ago

By Tyler Cuttini/Contributing Reporter

The first thing that caught my eye when I entered the 921 Earthquake Museum was a yellow band running at an angle across the ground toward a pile of exposed soil. This line represents, in the early morning hours of September 21, 1999, a massive 7.3 magnitude earthquake raised the ground more than 2 meters along one side of the Qilongpu (車籠埔斷層) fault.

The museum's first gallery, named after this fault, takes visitors on a journey along it, from the spot directly in front of them, where the rise appears in the exposed soil, all the way to the furthest points of the rise in Miaoli. province. The fault is not a straight line, but follows an irregular, curved path – reflected in the serpentine shape of this building – as it passes through different types of soil and dodges mountains. Photographs show visitors the massive damage caused by the 921 earthquake along the fault line, toppling buildings, breaking bridges and even bending dikes, as well as the bizarre sights it created, such as the new waterfall that appeared in the Dajia River (大甲溪). ), and rows of tea plants twisted by the shifting ground.

The most surprising thing to see was not how much damage had occurred along the fault – any time one side of a building was pushed up more than a meter, total collapse could be expected – but how little damage had occurred just a hundred meters from it. The rift. flaw. The aerial views were reminiscent of the aftermath of a tornado, where a line of rubble was often surrounded by completely intact structures.

Photo: Tyler Cuttney

Construction failure, new solutions

While the first exhibit teaches the cause of earthquakes and illustrates their power through the example of the 921 earthquake, the second exhibit focuses on why man-made structures fail and the development of anti-seismic building techniques over the years. This is the most interactive part of the museum and includes hands-on activities where visitors can learn about or test different building techniques.

It begins with a walk through a partially collapsed classroom building from when Kwangfu Middle School was located here. In addition to the strange classrooms where writing is still on the blackboard from September 20, 1999, visitors can see concrete examples (in every sense of the word) of structural failure. The columns here didn't have enough rebar collars and their ability to bend was restricted by partial walls, so they ended up bending, buckling and snapping in the middle, leaving their insides exposed. One of these pillars was later reinforced using a column expansion technique to demonstrate how older buildings could be retrofitted for greater stability.

Photo: Tyler Cuttney

Within the Earthquake Engineering Hall itself, there are activities and information panels simple enough to hold the attention of young children, but in-depth enough to satisfy any curious adult. The hands-on activities really work, clearly explaining what they're supposed to do, and the QR codes on the walls link to simple but informative videos that expand on the basic principles demonstrated in the activities.

Turn the earthquake wheel and watch the water trapped in the soil rise to the top as the tiny house with no piles sinks. Shake building frames at different speeds and see how short and tall buildings respond. Build buildings with or without structural walls, then see which ones fall first. These activities are quick and fun while explaining the principles clearly enough for all ages to understand. More advanced seismic isolation and monitoring techniques using rubber lead bearings and subtle shifts in the reflective properties of fiber optic cables are also explained, for those with an appetite for something more technical.

A monument to the disaster

Photo: Tyler Cuttney

In the third hall, there is an “Earthquake Experience Theater” where, for NT$30, visitors can sit on a shaking platform simulating a strong earthquake, accompanied by animation and a narration of the story of the 921 earthquake played on surrounding screens. While this is somewhat entertaining, as are the hands-on activities in the previous exhibit, the museum also does its best to serve as a somber memorial to the earthquake that killed 2,456 people and injured 10,718 others. The rest of this show does an excellent job of telling the personal stories and societal upheaval that resulted.

Along one corridor, there are reprints of fake news stories from the days after the quake. One can start on September 21 and follow the story of the disaster response as it unfolded simply by walking down the hall. This perspective, which reflects the dynamic and unpredictable nature of the event, is a refreshing change from the usual linear, retrospective narrative of events found in museums and textbooks. Visitors who cannot read Mandarin can follow along thanks to high-quality English and Japanese translations printed alongside the originals.

This third building is called the “Picture Gallery” and focuses largely on art. There are paintings by Professor Vince Shih (施並錫) of Lukang, which were created after he personally witnessed the effects of the earthquake first-hand. In another hall, a collection of stunning photographs is displayed that depicts the grief, triumph and enormous devastation caused by this disaster.

Photo: Tyler Cuttney

Most poignant of all is the “Family Memories” exhibit, which, unfortunately, is one of the few areas of the museum without English translations. Each image depicts one family, often in front of their destroyed home, and is accompanied by a description of how the earthquake affected them personally. These personal touches humanize the disaster in a way that statistics or news reports alone cannot. One photo shows two sisters standing with their grandfather in front of a landslide while an excavator searches for their parents, who have never been found. Then there is the family who were certain of the location of their apartment in the rubble after discovering their own little Buddha statue. Each is worth a read, so bringing a translation app or someone local who can translate is highly recommended.

The school split in half

After the third exhibition, it's time to go for a walk outside on the grounds of the former middle school to reach the climax of the tour. This is where the strength of the rising fault line is demonstrated and preserved for future generations. Two collapsed buildings and a damaged running track give visitors a perspective rarely seen anywhere else in the world.

Photo: Tyler Cuttney

The school's three-storey corridor collapsed completely during the quake, with all the columns folding neatly in the same way and the floors and ceilings falling straight down to form a concrete sandwich, now just two meters high. Pre-earthquake photos posted nearby show students standing atop this walkway and waving, oblivious to the tectonic pressure building up in the fault line beneath their feet.

Adjacent to this is the badly damaged North Classroom Building, which lies directly on the fault line itself. The high ground begins outside the school entrance, passes through the collapsed north classroom building, and continues all the way across the running track to the first hallway. The lines of the running track, once arrow straight and level, are now impossibly folded and twisted upwards. This is where the effects of a strong earthquake on the shape of the land itself are most evident, and it is a good place to end your tour, right on the fault line where you started.

If you go

Photo: Tyler Cuttney

The museum is open from 9am to 5pm daily except Monday. Tickets are NT$50, and free lockers are available. The facility is wheelchair accessible. Parking is available nearby for those who come by car. Alternatively, you can take a bus in front of Taichung Railway Station: either Bus No. 107 or Bus No. 200 from Taiwan Street. To Kengkou Village (坑口), or bus No. 50 from Chenggong Road to Guangfu New Village Traffic Circle (光復新村). Walk 15 minutes east to the museum, at 192 Sincheng Road, Wufeng District, Taichung City (臺中市霧峰區新生路192號). Free guided tours are offered several times daily starting around 9:30 a.m. but are only in Chinese.

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