What?! Witness a Whale Shark and sea turtles right in the heart of Taipei's Xinyi District department store zone? As someone who has lived in Taipei for years, I could barely wrap my head around that idea — but off I went, with an adventurous spirit, to find out. Let's pull back the curtain on the hidden ocean journey and mysterious marine life tucked away inside one of the city's most upscale luxury department stores!
An Ocean Journey at BELLAVITA
Stepping nervously into the ground-floor lobby of BELLAVITA, I was immediately greeted by marine life covering both the floor and the ceiling above — a majestic Whale Shark and an enormous sea turtle came into view at once, instantly shaving a noticeable chunk off my camera's memory card!
The floor decals feature sea turtles, Whale Sharks, and more — how many species can you spot?
I wonder if real whales are truly this enormous.
Welcome to the BELLAVITA Aquarium!!
Think the ground floor is all there is? Wrong, wrong, wrong! Head straight down to the B1 exhibition hall — that's where the real heart of this ocean special exhibition lies!
It turns out this exhibition is co-organised with National Geographic.
A spacious and open exhibition area.
The exhibition space may be compact, but it is packed with stunning photographs of marine life — Whale Sharks, sea lions, walruses, sea turtles, and more. Even more importantly, it brings in some vital marine conservation messages, touching on well-known issues such as shark fin and marine debris. It is a genuinely meaningful exhibition!
A display of truly iconic underwater photography.
A very comprehensive introduction to sharks — including, of course, the shark fin issue.
Without a doubt, the most awe-inspiring highlight of the entire exhibition is the VR virtual reality experience. Slip on the headset and phone, and you are instantly immersed in an underwater world, taking in breathtaking views of a sunken wreck while schools of fish and manta rays glide all around you. You can move freely and even try to reach out and touch them (of course, you can't!), and then — the climax — a colossal Whale Shark appears, leaving me completely transfixed.
A display of truly iconic underwater photography.
Exhibition summary:
This exhibition is a special showcase held to celebrate BELLAVITA's seventh anniversary, running from 9/8 to 9/21. The exhibition space is small, but if you happen to be wandering through the Xinyi District with family, a partner, or friends, it is well worth a visit — you can deepen your understanding of ocean issues while soaking up a little of that luxury department-store atmosphere (heh~). I sincerely hope everyone will take the chance to attend exhibitions like this, so that companies willing to invest in ocean awareness are encouraged to keep channelling resources into making our oceans a better place. Your sharing also gives ocean issues a small but meaningful push forward!!
Exhibition website: BELLAVITA【7th Anniversary】Deep Blue Ocean
