Travel Weekly / Let your imagination run wild as Transformers showcase artificial intelligence

Travel Hub / Taipei Report

After a week of hard work, it’s time to embrace a joyful weekend holiday again this week we recommend three exhibitions that take you through the realms of imagination, allowing your tired mind to soar in another world. Take a holiday break to explore aliens, Transformers, or magical animation exhibitions — where fantasy meets reality, and embark on a mini time-traveling exhibition journey.


▲The wildly popular Transformers exhibition has Taiwan’s only Bumblebee. (Photo / courtesy ofCityPass)

[Transformers Exhibition]
Featuring over 500 collectible models, 107 creator manuscripts, and movie scene recreations. The cross-generational Transformers Special Exhibition includes Taiwan’s only six-meter-tall Bumblebee. It also features a science education interactive area, in collaboration with Creative Radish Robotics Lab, using educational and entertaining large-scale graphic explanations to introduce robot design and transformation principles. Combining various cutting-edge technologies, the exhibition showcases the development and achievements of artificial intelligence.

Exhibition Dates: November 3, 2012 – February 28, 2013
Exhibition Venue: Special Exhibition Area, South Side, 7th Floor, National Taiwan Science Education Center (No. 189, Shangqi Road, Shilin District, Taipei City 111)
Exhibition Hours: Monday to Friday (non-winter vacation weekdays) / 9:00–17:00 (last entry at 16:00)
Weekends, national holidays, and winter vacation period / 9:00–18:00 (last entry at 17:00)
Ticket Price: General Admission NT$250

[Aliens Exploration Special Exhibition]
Curated by London’s Science Museum, the “Aliens Exploration” special exhibition unveils the mysteries of extraterrestrial life from a scientific perspective. From up-close looks at bizarre polar creatures unknown on Earth, to interactive experiences in scientists’ imaginative alien worlds; from the real science behind alien life, to deep explorations of the vast galaxy, and an immersive encounter with visually stunning UFOs.

Exhibition Dates: November 10, 2012 – February 24, 2013
Exhibition Hours: Monday to Friday (non-winter vacation weekdays) / 9:00–17:00 (last entry at 16:00)
                  Weekends, national holidays, and winter vacation period / 9:00–18:00 (last entry at 17:00)
Ticket Price: General Admission NT$250; Discounted Ticket NT$220
Exhibition Venue: National Taiwan Science Education Center (No. 189, Shangqi Road, Shilin District, Taipei City)

[Magical Animation Exhibition]
The 2012 Magical Animation Exhibition centers around award-winning films from the Ottawa Animation Festival, Annecy Animation Festival, the Second Nature Animation Zone, and the Chinese Animation Selection Zone. It brings together some of the most outstanding animated works, showcasing a range of animation techniques from traditional hand-drawn, puppet, collage animation to digital 3D computer animation. In terms of genre, it includes not only fully narrated short animations but also strongly individualistic experimental creations. Taiwanese audiences will be able to experience the latest global trends in animation creation and storytelling techniques, and view outstanding works by Chinese creators from around the world all in one place.

Exhibition Dates: November 16, 2012 – November 25, 2012