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The National Palace Museum

The National Palace Museum located in Taipei City, a suburb of Waishuangxi, is a fascinating view of antiquities of all kinds including paintings, rare documents and books, ceramics, curios, bronzes, jades, and much more.

There are permanent and temporary special exhibitions as well as a Children's Gallery and the Zhide Garden with its traditional architecture and landscaping, both with free admission.

First Stop: the Orientation Gallery

Begin at the Orientation Gallery in the main building's west wing to obtain information on the exhibitions and history before visiting the various galleries.

Examples of Permanent Exhibits

The Magic of Kneaded Clay: A History of Chinese Ceramics features mostly ceramics inherited from the Qing imperial palaces with accession numbers to give the original location of each piece.

Splendors of Ch'ing Furniture shows Chinese furniture between the 15th and 18th century. In the latter century, imperial demands caused the style to be more majestic, opulent and luxurious. Accurate reconstruction of the rooms is accomplished by adding imperial paintings and other objects from the periods.

Example of a Display from July 25, 2012 through June 20, 2013

Lifting the Spirit and Body: The Art and Culture of Snuff is a display of unique craftsmanship of snuff bottles and boxes as well as paraphernalia from the Qing court, which followed the European fashion of snuff.

Some of the Amazing Ceramics and Curios

The ceramics include a High-stemmed Black Pottery Cup, Bowl in Shape of Lotus, and a Blue Enamel Landscape Teapot. The curios include a Filigree Cloisonne Box with Lotus Motif, Filled Lacquered Peony Box, Painted Enamelware Vase with Dragons, and Glass Snuff Bottle with Interior Painting. These are just examples of the spectacular objects that you can view and enjoy.

Amenities

There are three gift shops and a variety of places to dine including both Western and Eastern snacks, desserts, a Teahouse, and the Silks Palace covering five stories of the building and offering Taiwanese snacks and traditional Chinese cuisine.

Travel Essentials

  • Open times: The main building has free admittance from 18:30 to 20:30 on Saturdays and is open daily throughout the year. The Memorial Residence is open Tuesday to Sunday.
  • Address is: 221 Jhihshan Road Section 2, Shihlin District, Taipei.
  • By car: From National Highway 1, exit Binjiang offramp, turn left across Dazhi bridge and turn right after Ziqiang Tunnel. From National Highway 1, exit Neihu offramp, turn left on to Neihu Road Section 1 by expressway, then right after Ziqiang Tunnel to the museum.
  • Buses: mini 18, mini 19, red 30, 213, 255, 304 Chengde line, or 304 Chongching line direct to the museum.
  • MRT: Danshui line to Shilin Station. Transfer to bus 255, 304 Chengde line, or 304 Chongching line, mini 19, red 30 to the museum.

Nearby Sights

  • Former Chiang Kai-sek Shih-lin Residence
  • National Yangmingshan Park