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National Palace Museum

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The National Palace Museum is a premier institution dedicated to preserving Chinese history and art.

National Palace Museum Front View
National Palace Museum Front View

Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, it serves as a massive repository for cultural heritage. The museum holds a permanent collection of nearly 700,000 artifacts and artworks. These pieces span 8,000 years of history, from the Neolithic era to the modern age. The collection primarily consists of items from the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. These treasures were originally housed in the Forbidden City. Today, the museum acts as a vital link to the past for people worldwide.

The journey of these artifacts was often dangerous and required careful planning. In 1931, following the Mukden Incident, the Nationalist Government ordered an evacuation. They wanted to protect the most valuable pieces from the Imperial Japanese Army. Between February and May 1933, 13,491 crates of objects were moved to Shanghai in five groups.

National Palace Treasure Crates 1930s
National Palace Treasure Crates 1930s

Later, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the collection moved westward through routes including Anshun and Leshan. After the Japanese surrendered in 1945, the items were shipped back to Nanjing. This period of movement was essential to ensure the survival of these historical treasures.

During the Chinese Civil War, the collection faced another major transition. Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek decided to evacuate the arts to Taiwan. Between December 1948 and February 1949, Hang Li-wu supervised the transport of items from Nanjing to the Keelung harbor. Many institutions participated in this massive effort to save the art. The National Beijing Palace Museum sent 2,972 crates, which represented 22% of the crates originally sent south. Other groups, like the National Central Library, also sent hundreds of crates. Although not all pieces could be moved, the items that arrived in Taiwan were some of the very best.

Once the artifacts reached Taiwan, they were kept in several temporary locations. They were first stored in a railway warehouse in Yangmei. Later, they were moved to a cane sugar mill near Taichung. In 1949, the Executive Yuan created the Joint Managerial Office to oversee the collection. This office eventually moved the items to a mountain village called Beigou for better security. In 1957, a small exhibition hall opened in Beigou with four galleries. Finally, a permanent museum was built in the Taipei suburb of Waishuanxi. This facility, originally called the Chung-Shan Museum, opened in August 1965.

National Palace Museum Taipei1
National Palace Museum Taipei1

The museum's collection is organized into many specialized categories. It includes 6,280 bronzes and 25,623 ceramics. There are also 13,589 jades and 6,762 paintings. The museum holds 216,539 rare books and over 395,000 Qing archival documents. Because the collection is so vast, only about 1% of the items are exhibited at any given time. The rest are kept safe in temperature-controlled vaults. This rotation allows the museum to show different works, such as calligraphy, every three months. This system ensures that the items remain in excellent condition for future generations.

Many specific items within the collection are famous for their extreme skill and rarity. The museum holds the world's largest collection of Ru ware, which is a very rare type of Song dynasty ceramic. Among the metalworks, the Zong Zhou Zhong is a significant musical instrument. The Mao Gong Ding is a bronze cauldron that carries the longest known Chinese bronze inscriptions. One of the most beloved pieces is the Jadeite Cabbage. This jadeite carving is shaped like a cabbage head with two small grasshoppers camouflaged in the leaves. These objects demonstrate the incredible artistry of different Chinese eras.

The museum grounds offer more than just indoor galleries. The Zhishan Garden is a classical Chinese garden built in the Song and Ming styles.

202001 國立故宮博物院 至善園1
202001 國立故宮博物院 至善園1

It uses principles like feng shui and landscape design, featuring ponds and wooden pavilions. A second garden, the Zhide Garden, is also located on the grounds.

Chih-te Garden-19.2024-10-11
Chih-te Garden-19.2024-10-11

In 2015, a Southern Branch opened in Taibao, Chiayi County. This branch is a massive 9,000-square-meter building designed to be earthquake and flood resistant. These various sites and gardens create a complete cultural experience for every visitor.

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🖼️ Images & Media (6)
File:National Palace Treasure Crates 1930s.jpg
National Palace Treasure Crates 1930s.jpg
File:National Palace Museum Taipei1.jpg
National Palace Museum Taipei1.jpg
File:202001 國立故宮博物院 至善園1.jpg
202001 國立故宮博物院 至善園1.jpg
File:Chih-te Garden-19.2024-10-11.jpg
Chih-te Garden-19.2024-10-11.jpg
File:國立故宮博物院 - panoramio.jpg
國立故宮博物院 - panoramio.jpg
File:National_Palace_Museum_Front_View.jpg
National_Palace_Museum_Front_View.jpg
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