(CN) Watching wildlife sets pulses racing

[Guest guest]

China Daily http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/

(WU LI)

08/13/2001

 

Thickly-dotted bottles and black-and-white illustrations in many Chinese

museums of natural sciences often frustrate children who call them dull and

unfriendly.

But that is not the case any more at the Beijing Museum of Natural History

which has recently been thoroughly refurbished in an effort to draw children

back.

 

Curators at the museum have practically transformed the showrooms for a new

exhibition: " Animals - Friends of Mankind. "

 

Illustrations dazzle the eyes with bright colours and most specimens seem as

if they are ready to " jump " out of the bottles.

 

A wood frog " hides " in thick grass under the tree; a salamander swims in a

crystal-clear brook; ants are busy carrying food back home...

 

" Modern technology of light, sound and electricity are adopted to make the

specimens lifelike, " said Li Xiangtao, designer of the exhibition.

 

The exhibition included three parts: " Diversity of Animals, " " World of

Insects " and " Night Belongs to Animals. "

 

The hall of " Diversity of Animals " shows representative species from

protozoan to amphibian.

 

" I learnt many anecdotes of animals here, " said 9-year-old schoolboy Li

Liang in front of a showcase for many kinds of fishes. " I found out a

special fish called cypselurus poecilopterus could fly as far as four to

five hundred metres. "

 

" It is a vivid classroom for biology education, " a middle-aged woman Wang

Wenjuan added.

 

She has taken exhaustive notes together with her 11-year-old daughter while

following the guide to the exhibition.

 

The mother and daughter then pressed a button to see the life history and

infection channel of parasites - organisms living in or on another and

benefiting at the expense of that species.

 

Beside them, several little children are tiptoeing, watching mini-jellyfish

through microscopes.

 

" There are 34 microscopes altogether in the exhibition for people to see the

microbes clearly, " according to Yang Siliang, a scholar from the museum.

 

" In the past, we placed some microbes as small as half a needle in bottles

and I don't think any visitor would have had any idea what those bottles

were for. "

 

The new exhibition particularly highlights wildlife protection.

 

Besides specimens or printing photos of animals on the brink of extinction,

20 cartoon programmes are stored in the museum computer calling on the

public to protect wildlife on earth.

 

The glaring titles, such as " Animal Disappearing, " " Home " and " No

Purchasing, No Shooting, " have drawn crowds of children around the screen.

 

A lovely panda named " Qu Qu " sits in a conspicuous place singing, as if it

is asking questions like " Are we living on the plain or in jungles? " " How

much bamboo do I eat everyday, 3 kilograms or 30 kilograms? "

 

The illustration on the board nearby reads: " Because of human activities

such as hunting and killing, felling trees, polluting environment, and

reclaiming wasteland, 25 per cent of the animals living in the wild will be

on the verge of extinction in 20 to 30 years. "

 

" We human beings are too cruel to animals, " said Hu Xing, a primary school

student from Urumqi, viewing the exhibition. " Animals are our friends. We

should treat them well. "

 

The glass surface steps with sands and shells underneath lead visitors to a

world of insects.

 

At the entrance visitors can see mantis as big as lobsters twinkling

overhead and egg-sized ants carrying food in wall chinks.

 

" The tiny insects are magnified 10 to hundreds of times so that people can

observe them clearly, " explained Li Xiangtao, a member of the scientific

research staff at the museum.

 

Furthermore, some insect models and illustrations are cartooned.

 

" They look friendly in this way, " said Li.

 

In the centre of the hall there are hundreds of butterflies " flying " in the

glass cabinet, which arouse many girls' admiration. The butterfly species

are introduced from different countries including Indonesia, Malaysia and

Papua New Guinea.

 

Young children are interested in a jigsaw puzzle of insects, while other

visitors may turn a handle to let out a scarab or ladybug.

 

Moreover, by turning another handle, visitors can observe a unicorn beetle's

special moving gesture with six legs.

 

It is hard to count how many games visitors can play with hands in the

" World of Insects. " Children run here and there, crying out in happy

astonishment. Even the adults admit they feel younger.

 

" Interesting! " an elderly woman said with telephone receiver in hand,

through which comes the singing of cicada. " I feel as if was staying in the

forest. "

 

Opposite to " The World of Insects, " is a mysterious and half-hidden hall -

" Night Belongs to Animals. "

 

The setting of the hall has been designed so that it mirrors natural

environments including the desert, forest and ocean. The designer is an

expert from Beijing Film Studio.

 

When the visitors enter the hall, night falls. With lighting coming from

unexpected places, animals like tigers jump before people's eyes. There

follows the lifelike sounds of the creatures. The light diverts direction

constantly, and different animals -seagulls, golden monkeys, tigers, owls -

take turns to call.

 

" Animals come out one by one so that children can recognize their voice and

remember their appearance, " said Wang Ping, a member of the museum staff.

 

" It is so exciting here, I feel like staying in the forest, " said a boy

named Yan Yang. Even at " daybreak, " the boy hated to leave.