National Palace Museum: The World’s Largest Collection of Ancient Chinese Artifacts
Nearly every guide to Taipei recommends a visit to the iconic National Palace Museum, and for good reason: it houses over 600,000 artefacts and artworks from imperial China, spanning 8,000 years of history. That makes it the largest collection of ancient Chinese artefacts in the world (yes, more than in China itself). Originally housed in Beijing’s Forbidden City by the imperial family, the collection was partially evacuated to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War so that the most precious items could be preserved. It truly is a miracle that these artefacts have survived so much conflict and destruction and that we’re still able to enjoy them today — in a world-class museum, no less!
While we appreciate the massive scale of its collection, we wouldn’t necessarily say that the National Palace Museum is a must-visit in Taipei, but that it depends on your interests. We personally love learning about historical events, but aren’t quite as intrigued by ancient artefacts — we’re more moved by museums like the incredibly powerful Ama Museum of Comfort Women and the fascinating Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines (just down the street from the National Palace Museum and a better choice in our minds). We’d only recommend the National Palace Museum if you’re interested in art history and ancient China since the $350 admission isn’t cheap and the location is pretty far out of the way in Shilin District.
Having said that, the National Palace Museum is truly impressive if you like ancient treasures. Covering four floors and two exhibition halls, it’s a big space that’s very well organized and maintained. Its hours are 8:30am – 6:30pm most days, but it stays open until 9pm on Friday and Saturday nights. From what we’ve heard, it’s best not to go in the morning because that’s the busiest time for large tour groups. However, there are daily English tours included in the museum admission that run at 10am and 3pm that may be worth aiming for if you would prefer a guided visit.
The Orientation Gallery, offering a crash course in Chinese history, is the place to start. It overviews important points about the major dynasties and connects them to the exhibitions so that you have a sense of what you’ll be looking at later. We were grateful for the huge timeline covering an entire wall, laying out Chinese history in relation to other parts of the world, as it gave us a good point of reference when viewing the rest of the museum.
The exhibitions are constantly rotating so that only a percentage of the items are ever on display, but you can expect to see paintings and calligraphy, religious and sculptural arts, ceramic and bronze collections, jade antiquities, and more. The grand hallways and sprawling exhibition rooms are very pleasant to walk through (if a bit cold with the AC blasting), though they can get pretty crowded. If you take your time, you could easily spend hours soaking it all in.
Perhaps the most recognized antiquity in the museum is the infamous Jadeite Cabbage from the Qing Dynasty. It’s actually not as rare or highly valued as many other artefacts in the museum, but it was chosen by the public as the most important treasure in the entire collection — and the hordes of tourists crowding around to take photos prove its popularity. We’re not sure we understand the appeal, but it definitely gave us a good chuckle. If this is what you’re coming to see, just double check that it’s actually at the National Palace Museum of Taipei, as some artefacts are on occasion lent to the southern branch in Chiayi County.
Hungry after all the browsing and fighting the crowd for Jadeite Cabbage photos? The Silks Palace Restaurant in the building opposite the museum is a great place to recharge. It’s got a classy, pleasant atmosphere and serves unique (though rather pricey) tea sets and food.
We ordered the Afternoon Tea Set for $880 (+ 10% service charge) which includes 2 types of tea and a dim sum spread of sweet and savoury bites, one of which resembles the famous Jadeite Cabbage we just jostled to see. They’re cute and tasty, though not outstanding. It’s a nice spot to relax before starting the long journey back to the centre of Taipei, but very much missable if you’re running low on time or funds.
Another way to round off your trip is a visit to the Zhishan Garden, which is located right next to the museum. Entrance is free if you bought a ticket to the National Palace Museum that day, and only $20 otherwise. The gardens are traditional Chinese-style, made to resemble styles of the Song and Ming Dynasties. Both the architecture and the greenery are very nice to walk through, although you wouldn’t have missed a great deal if you skip it. If you’re interested in Chinese-style gardens, you could also check out Shuangxi Park (also in Shilin District) or venture out to Banqiao to see the Lin Family Mansion, the best-preserved traditional house in the country and one of the four great gardens of Taiwan.
The National Palace Museum is a symbol of Taipei and we’re glad to have checked it out for that reason. Its collection truly is awe-inspiring. However, we only feel it’s a must-visit if you’re interested in art history and ancient Chinese artefacts. If not, you won’t find it very exciting and may end up begrudging the expense, crowds, and time taken to get there.
Instead, we’d recommend checking out the Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines. It’s just down the street and offers a wealth of knowledge about the often (and unfortunately) overlooked indigenous tribes of Taiwan. It’s cheaper, smaller, less crowded, and, in our opinion, much more interesting. This is a side of Taiwanese history that deserves more recognition, and we’re happy to support it.
What’s the vibe?
The iconic National Palace Museum is a sprawling complex of exhibitions that house thousands of ancient Chinese artworks and artefacts. The grand hallways and exhibition rooms are well-maintained and pleasant to meander through, if not for the crowds. The museum pumps the air conditioning up high, so it’s always cold inside.
Worth it?
Not for us, personally. $350 isn’t cheap and historical artefacts aren’t our cup of tea. It also takes a really long to travel to from the centre of Taipei. If you’re more interested in artefacts than us, you’ll be impressed by the incredible scale of the collection and you won’t mind having to spend money and time to see them.
Would you go back?
We appreciate the museum for what it is, but once is enough. If we really had to go back, we’d make sure to make the most of our time by visiting the Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines and go shrimp fishing, which is also in the area.
Last updated November 2019
| National Palace Museum |
| Chinese Name: 國立故宮博物院 |
| Hours: Sun - Thurs: 8:30am - 6:30pm Fri & Sat: 8:30am - 9pm |
| Phone: 02 6610 3600 |
| English Address: No. 221, Section 2, Zhishan Road, Shilin District, Taipei, Taiwan |
| Chinese Address: 台北市士林區直山路二段221號 |
