Cijin Shell Museum, Marine museum in Cijin District, Taiwan
The Cijin Shell Museum is a marine museum on Cijin Island, near Kaohsiung in Taiwan, displaying a large collection of shells, mollusks, crustaceans, and other sea creatures. The exhibits are arranged by scientific classification, so visitors can follow the diversity of ocean life in a clear and ordered way.
The museum moved to its current building in 2011, after the previous premises became too small for the growing collection. The founder spent years gathering specimens from local waters before the collection grew into what visitors can see today.
Most of the shells on display were gathered from the waters around Cijin, giving the collection a strong local feel. Visitors can see how closely the island's daily life has always been tied to the sea and its creatures.
To reach the museum, take the ferry to Cijin Island, which runs regularly throughout the day. Once on the island, the building is easy to find and the exhibits are clearly labeled, so no guide is needed.
The collection includes nautilus shells from animals that have changed very little over hundreds of millions of years, making them some of the oldest surviving animal forms on Earth. Alongside them, a giant clam shell shows just how large some sea creatures can grow.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
