Submit
Standing Agape Before Mother Nature’s Power in Wufong, Taiwan
Earthquakes rending giant cracks in the ground are usually the stuff of fantasy, but that is precisely what made the 9/21/1999 magnitude 7.6 earthquake in central Taiwan so devastating—it broke through the earth’s surface for nearly 60km! In some places, the ground on one side of the fault had risen by as much as 10 meters compared to the ground on the other side. You can and must see this for yourself at the 921 Earthquake Museum in Wufong town near Taichung city, Taiwan. On the site of a junior high school, the athletic track and field is preserved as it was left on that fated day when one half of it rose 2.5 meters above the other half along the fault. Marvel for a moment at this incredibly rare earthquake manifestation and then look out to the horizon, trying to grasp that everything—from the track to as far as the eye can see—lifted at once in what must have been one horrifying moment. Shake off the mental collision between awesome and terrifying by sobering up with front row views of the devastated school remains. You can even safely experience a simulated earthquake of the same scale in the slick new visitor center built on the school grounds.
Add a Comment
