The Chung Ling Chemistry Competition is viewed by many in Taiwan as the “Olympics of Chemistry”. It consistently attracts hundreds of students from the best high schools in Taiwan. This year, on March 9, a record total of 265 groups and 795 students took part.

The contest consists of two phases. The first comprises a written test, which gauges one’s overall understanding of chemistry by testing their ability to comprehend chemistry-related information, to calculate in chemistry, and to practically apply chemistry-based knowledge. The second phase involves a practical experiment contest.

This year, the contest examined students’ understanding of metal complexes. In the end, the top three spots went to Kaohsiung Municipal Girls’ Senior High School, National Taichung First Senior High School, and the Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University. The winning teams received cash prizes of NT $30,000, NT $15,000, and NT $10,000 respectively.