Travel Guides

The National Palace Museum (Chinese is an art gallery and museum in Tapei, Republic of China, Taiwan) containing artifacts of ancient China. It should not be confused with the Palace Museum (note the absence of the word “National”), which is the Forbidden City in Beijing. Both institutions derive from the same original institution, which was split in two as a result of the Chinese Civil War .

The National Palace Museum is considered one of world’s five great museums, along the Louvre, the British Museum, America’s Metropolitan Museum, and Russia’s Hermitage. Its artifacts constitute a magnificent part of the Chinese cultural heritage and it is a must-see spot for foreigners visiting Taiwan. Artifacts at the National Palace Museum span almost the entire five millennia of Chinese history, and most were once in the Imperial Collection. More than 700,000 items are on display, many of which were taken from Beijing’s Forbidden City, truly reflects the rich cultural heritage of Chinese civilization.

The “Jade Cabbage”, a piece of jade carved into the shape of a head of cabbage, with an insect attached. The fame attached to this piece is due to the masterful utilisation of natural colour variations in the jade to recreate colour variations in the cabbage. The “meat-shaped stone”, a piece of agate, the strata of which are cleverly used to create a likeness of a piece of pork cooked in soy sauce.
Imperial China ceased to exist with termination of the power of the last Qing emperor Pu Yi in 1911- though he did not formally abdicate until February 24, 1912 — and the proclamation of the Republic of China. The last emperor, however, was allowed to continue living with the accumulated treasures of the centuries in “his’” Forbidden City until November 1924 when he was unceremoniously expelled.

There are good tours in different languages and for the handicapped, starting from the information desk in the main lobby. The tours will run even if only one person shows up. A multimedia slide show is presented daily in both Chinese and English languages. In October, there are also special showings of rare and fragile artifacts – and this is the best time to visit.