|
1 Museum
Intorductory
The
National Palace Museum, standing in its scenic hillside setting n the northern suburbs of
Taipei, presents an imposing exterior of traditional Chinese palace architecture. The
Museum's Exhibition building and Administration block are complemented by the Chih-shan
Garden, an attractive walled garden laid out in the Sung dynasty manner, where the visitor
my stroll among pavilions and watercourses. As seen today, the Museum site reflects the
steady expansion which has taken place since it first opened its doors to the public in
1965. Improvements in the interior layout and facilities have also helped the Museum
better carry out it versatile functions of preserving and maintaining its collection,
while simultaneously providing facilities for research, educational outreach, and
pleasurable recreation.
As its very name implies, the National Palace Museum
owes its priceless collection to the successive Chinese imperial collections built up over
a thousand years by the Sung (A.D. 960-1279), Yuan (A.D. 1279-1368), Ming (A.D. 1368-1644)
and Ch'ing (A.D. 1644-1911) dynasties. Its present scope is an impressive testimony to
each imperial dynasty's confine collection. The National Palace Museum itself came into
existence in 1925, one year after the last of the former Manchu emperors, P'u Yi, moved
out of the former Ch'ing imperial palace. Thenceforth, what had been a private collection
passed on over the centuries from one dynasty to another became the common inheritance of
all Chinese. However, due to the upheavals China experienced this century (i.e. the War of
Resistance against collection was first moved from Peiping to Nankeen and then to
Szechwan, back to Nankeen again following victory in the Second World War, and finally
from Nankeen to Taiwan in 1984. This repeated transfer from place to place under war-time
conditions and over the course of so many years without the least damage occurring to the
collection itself, is a miraculous achievement surely unequaled by any other museum in the
world.
The unique richness of the Museum's collection is also
recognized world-wide. This now stands at close to 700,000 pieces, and it continues to
grow year by year through donations and purchases. The collection is at its most
comprehensive in the areas of ceramics and porcelain, calligraphy and painting, and ritual
bronzes. In addition, it also includes many fine examples of jade, lacquer wares curio
cabinets, enamel wares, writing accessories, carvings, embroidery, rare books, and
quality, this collection remains, unparalleled anywhere.
Porcelain was China's gift to the world, and its
gradual development can be traced over thousands of years, from the prehistoric painted
pottery of 5,000 years ago through the green-glazed sherds of 3,000 years ago, the
greenwares of the Ch'in (221-206 B.C.) and Han (206 B.C - A.D.220) dynasties and the
celadons of the Six Dynasties period (A.D.220-589), right up to the world-famous
monochrome procelains of the Sung, and the blue-and-white and polychrome wares of the Yuan
dynasty and later. This entire process can be studied in great detail through the
resources available in the National Palace Museum, which can be regarded as a world center
for research into Chinese porcelain.
Chinese calligraphy and painting are an outstanding
feature of oriental culture, and are art forms which transcend visual effects to speak
directly to the heart. The Museum has a complete collection illustrating the course of
Chinese calligraphy, from the oracle bone script of 3,000 years ago through important and
lengthy inscriptions on bronze, to the original masterpieces of Wang Hsi-chih of the
Eastern Chin dynasty (A.D. 317-420), and all the most famous calligraphers of the
T'ang(A.D. 618-906), Sung, Yuan, Ming and Ch'ing dynasties. The National Palace Museum
also possesses a very rich and comprehensive collection of paintings, including many
famous masterpieces which are regarded as national treasures.
The collection of ritual bronzes from China's bronze age
include dated vessels of 3,000 years ago, as well as a complete range of ritual vessels
from the early Shang period down to the late Warring States period. These are potent
symbols of China's ancient imperial ethos and of a culture which placed a high value on
rituals and music.
All these fine works of art are placed on display either
in permanent exhibitions or in special exhibition rooms, each covering a particular area,
the exhibits are displayed in chronological order and make use of the latest facilities
and lighting. Since there is so much to see that many visitors may feel confused at first,
the Museum has arranged a permanent exhibition entitled. The Relationship between Chinese
and World Culture, on the ground floor. Here the visitor may see at a glance the course of
development of both Chinese culture and other major cultures of the world. Programs are
also shown on a multimedia slide presentation, which introduce in a dynamic and lively way
the history and development of various types of art objects in the Museum.
Apart from exhibitions of China's traditional culture,
the Museum also provides an opportunity to enjoy more recent developments in Chinese art
through its new modern art exhibition, Creating from Tradition, also to be found on the
ground floor. Meanwhile, up on the fourth floor there is the San Hsi T'ang Chinese
Tearoom, where the visitor may take a break over a pot of fragrant Chinese tea and enjoy
the elegant decor, modeled on the imperial study of the Ch'ien-lung Emperor (A.D.
1736-1795).
The Museum has an actively developing program of
educational outreach and promotion. In addition to providing easily understood
explanations with every exhibit, regular seminars and lectures are held, and the Museum's
research staff publish the fruits of their work in various periodicals and illustrated
publications produced under our own auspices. The guides also play an essential role in
this regard, providing guided tours in Chinese, English, French, German, Spanish,
Japanese, Korean and Arabic, as well as assisting schoolchildren and their teachers to
derive full benefit from their visits to the Museum. In recent years a number of traveling
exhibitions have been held, both within the Republic of China and abroad, featuring
reproductions of the Museum's most prized exhibitions. In this way we have taken the
initiative in promoting the Museum's educational outreach, and in particular we are
delighted to have made the collection better known overseas. After all, the National
Palace Museum's supreme goal is to allow all mankind to truly enjoy its priceless artistic
treasures.
back to top
I
Special Information
April - June, 2001
Rare Maps and Treaties from the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Palace Museum recently agreed to relocate the
Ministry's Ching dynasty treaties, maps, and other valuable artifacts to the Museum's
state-of-the-art storage facilities. These documents are now in place at the Museum,
and will soon be available for readers to peruse and study in the Museum Library.
These diplomatic records originally belonged to the late-Ching Department of Foreign
Affairs. They were brought to Taiwan by the Nationalist government, and the present
Ministry of Foreign Affairs has always regarded them as the most important treasures in
their archives. The movement of the collection to the Museum has both assured the
best possible protective environment for these records and allowed their reincorporating
into the Museum's archive of over 400,000 Ching documents. While the contents of the
173 treaties from the Ministry archives are already well know, the 615 territorial and
border maps in the collection represent a new, valuable source of historical data.
Because they relate to the national defense of China's borders, they contain extremely
detailed information that has never before been made available for academic study.
A New Look for the Museum's Main Lobby
In an effort to improve the visitor experience, the Museum has recently renovated its main
lobby. The portrait of President chiang Kai-shek has been relocated to the Library
building and large information panels on both special and permanent exhibits have been
installed along the lobby walls. These changes increase the amount of public space
available to visitors, and also ensure that they can easily orient themselves to the
Museum and its collections.
II
October - December, 2002
Renaissance and Renewal - The National
Palace Museum Renovation Project
The Museum is renovating! Long in planning, renovation work is scheduled to formally begin
in November 2002 with the closing of the Modern Art Gallery (104) for conversion into a
temporary entrance and lobby. In August, selections from the east wing Jade, Bronze,
and Ceramics galleries were relocated to the third floor of the Museum's west wing, where
they are now displayed as part of the following special exhibits: Highlights of the Bronze
Collection, A Special Exhibition of Sung-hua Inkstones, and Masterpieces of Jade.
The project, which aims to renovate the public space of
the main exhibition hall, rearrange the order of the exhibits, and improve the Museum's
external environment, will be divided into several phases. The first phase, which
begins in November, is expected to last until August of next year. During this
phase, the east wing of the Museum will be temporarily closed. Nevertheless, the
west wing will remain open to the public, and a series of outstanding special exhibitions
will also be held in the gallery space on the ground floor of the library building.
The second phase, planned for August 2003 to January 2004, will involve the closing of the
west wing. Beginning in November, visitors will need to enter the Museum via the
temporary entrance. The Museum will be posting a comprehensive set of signs to help
visitors find their way around during the renovation work.
back to top
2
General Information
Address
221 Chih-shan Rd., Sec.2, Wai-shuang-hsi, Taipei, TAIWAN, R.O.C.
Telephone
886-2-2881-2021
Fax
886-2-2882-1440
Web
http://www.npm.gov.tw
Hours
Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission
Adults NT$80
Students NT$30 (with Student I.D.)
Group Ticket NT$65 per person (Groups of 20 and above)
Children (under 6) and Senior Citizens (over 65) Free
Pay Phones
Located in the Museum lobby and the restaurant.
Public Transportation
Buses 213, 255, and 304
MRT - Ride the Tamsui Line to Shih Lin Station and transger to Buses 255, 304, Minibuses
18, 19 or Bus 101 (weekends only)
Gift Shops
Two are located on the 1st floor, one is on the 3rd
floor, and another is in the San His T'ang Tea Room on the 4th floor.
Refreshments
The Museum Restaurant:
Open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. west of the main building
San Hsi T'ang Tea Room:
Tea and traditional Chinese snacks on the a 4th floor of the main building.
East Wing Pavilion:
Hot and cold beverages and snacks. Located in the east wing, on the 4th floor of the
main building.
Library
Building for Documents and Library on the 2nd, 3rd, &
4th floors. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Sundays & National Holidays.
Chang Dai-ch'ien's Residence
Open Monday to Firday except National Holidays.
Please call or write in advance to arrange a visit.
Chih-shan Garden
Traditional Chinese Garden.
Open Tuesday - Sunday from 7a.m. to 7p.m. Admission: NT$ 10
Chih-te Garden
Admission free.
Guided tours in Chinese, English and
French
All tours begin at the Information Desk.
Please register at the Information Desk.
Chinese: Daily at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
English: Daily at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
French: Once weekly. Please consult the Information Desk for details.
Audio Guide
INFORM is a state-of-the-art, hand-held audio tour
system which enables you to choose the highlighted exhibits which interest you and learn
about them at your own pace. For more information about this service, or to rent
your own INFORM unit, please inquire at the INFORM desk near the main entrance.
Tours for the Handicapped
The Museum offers special group tours for
physically or mentally challenged visitors. Wheelchairs are available in the
checkroom; wheelchair-accessible restrooms are locatd by the east elevators on the first
floor.
back to top
Museum Previous Issues |
