Complaints Roll In on Fossil Park Opening Day|台南左鎮化石園區 開幕人潮破萬

The Tainan City Government spent NT$430 million to build the nation's one and only fossil theme park, Tainan City Zuojhen Fossil Park. The park opened on May 12 and attracted a large crowd. The park estimates over 10,000 people visited on opening day, which was four times the park's capacity. Although park workers and police were on hand to help to direct the crowd, there were still many complaints.


A long queue of people are waiting to get into the park. There are also long lines inside the park where anything is sold and outside attractions. Tainan City Zuojhen Fossil Park opened on Mother's Day with free admission to city residents. However, park officials did not expect a crowd of over 10,000, which was more than double the local population of 4,700 and four times the capacity of the park.

Few places in Zuojhen are able to draw such a huge crowd anymore. There was traffic congestion and few available parking spaces around here. There are definitely areas where they need to improve. It's a pity they couldn't do better.

As people waited in line to get into the park, others were stuck in a parking queue several kilometers long for up to three hours. In response to a torrent of complaints about the insufficient parking, park officials apologized for any inconvenience.

The (park) has a capacity of around 2,500 people. On the morning (of the 12th), we got probably over 10,000 visitors. This was way over capacity.

The Tainan City Government spent NT$430 million on the complex, which is home to Taiwan's only fossil theme park and supposedly the island's largest collection of fossils. Park officials say opening day was a learning experience and they will explore expanding the park's parking facilities or running shuttle buses in the future.