TAIWAN: Wonder Chickens Tours At Hsinchu Zoo

Travellers in Taiwan are being offered the chance to celebrate Chinese New Year in a very unique way. Hsinchu Zoo in northern Taiwan has created a special chicken-themed tour to commemorate the Year of the Rooster, which began on 28 January.

The ‘wonder chickens tour’ will give visitors a detailed introduction to the dozens of species of ground-feeding birds that live at the zoo. Special attention will be paid to the Chrysolophus pictus, or golden pheasant, which zoo director Yang Chia-min has dubbed the zoo’s Lunar New Year icon due to its bright red and yellow plumage – both colours are considered auspicious in Taiwanese culture.

The zoo feels tours are especially well set up for families, with “information boards for all the ‘wonder chickens’ to improve children’s understanding of these creatures.”

Hsinchu Zoo is located in the city of Hsinchu, around 90 km southwest of Taipei along Taiwan’s northwest coast. Opened in 1936, the zoo is among Taiwan’s oldest and is home to several native Taiwanese species, including the Formosan Sika deer and barking deer.