Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum — Attraction in Taibao City

The National Palace Museum Southern Branch is an excellent museum that is well worth a visit. Its exhibitions are carefully planned and it has an interesting pan-Asian focus, which is a refreshing change from the typical focus on Chinese art and culture in other Taiwanese museums. It’s worth visiting for the wonderful Buddhist art exhibit alone, but the entire museum is extremely well done. It’s also situated in a lovely lake park with several nice outdoor art exhibitions.

I was impressed with every aspect of the museum. Taiwan has poured a lot of resources into it, and it has modern facilities and a nice restaurant. It also has a large and elaborate play area for kids (one of the best I’ve seen in a museum) – it’s a great destination for families. Its exhibits have excellent signage and clear explanations of the pieces’ historical context. The audio tour is also very good. You can expect to spend two to three hours here, depending on your speed.

Though it’s a bit remote, the museum organizers clearly went to great lengths to make it convenient to get to, and it would even be an easy day trip from Taipei (about an hour and a half on high speed rail). It’s a ten minute shuttle ride from the Chiayi High Speed Rail station (signs for the shuttle at the station are clearly marked).

If you’re in downtown Chiayi, it’s about a half hour ride. (The easiest way to get there from Chiayi would probably be to take the shuttle from the Chiayi train station to the High Speed Rail station, and then take the museum shuttle. I believe there’s also a bus directly to the museum from the train station. A cab ride from downtown Chiayi would be...

The Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum is located in Taibao City, Chiayi County. There are several exhibitions in this museum, in addition to permanent exhibitions, for instance, Asian textiles. You also can see some special exhibitions, such as “The Arts of the Lotus Sutra,” which is on display from January 29th to July 17th, 2022. I went to the museum on November 20th, 2021. I remember that day was a rainy day, but it did not extinguish my passion because I had been looking forward to the visit for several days! There was a unique exhibition- “Curio Boxes of the Qianlong Emperor” - at that time. This exhibition displayed a lot of small treasures which were collected by the Qianlong Emperor. This is the exhibition which is called “Curio Boxes of the Qianlong Emperor.”

This is the introduction about the animals jade collectins which were collected by Qianlong Emperor in Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum. These are three pictures which I took on that day. The second and the third pictures are small animals made of jade. Contrary to the National Palace Museum in Taipei, I think the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum is more convenient for people to come and visit, and the exhibits are more suitable for ordinary people, because the exhibits there are more interesting and more relevant to our life. If you have time, you should visit this museum to see many different exhibitions. Trust me, you will...

The Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum in Chiayi presents a striking blend of modern architecture and lush landscapes, housing a treasure trove of Asian art and culture. My visit there today was a journey through history, evidenced by the meticulously crafted meat-shaped stone, a testament to the exquisite artistry of the Qing dynasty, and the expansive pastoral painting, bringing scenes of serene natural beauty to life. The 'Tea Culture in East Asia' exhibition was particularly illuminating, showcasing the evolution of tea from a simple beverage to a sophisticated cultural practice across China, Japan, and Taiwan.

While the exhibits are well-curated and the collection impressive, the visitor circulation within the museum could use some rethinking. The ticket counter on the second floor, separate from the main entrance on the third, creates an unnecessary inconvenience, particularly for the elderly, those with strollers, or individuals requiring accessible facilities. A more intuitive layout would greatly enhance the overall experience, allowing all guests to fully appreciate the wonders within without the hassle of navigation.

In summary, the museum offers an enlightening exploration of Asian heritage, though the experience could be elevated with attention to accessibility. Despite this, the visit was enriching and deserves a solid...