The National Palace Museum in Taipei has its roots in Beijing, specifically the forbidden city. Artifacts were first moved out of Beijing amid fears of capture by the invading Japanese. Chiang Kai Shek later moved many of the pieces to Taiwan as he and his followers evacuated from the mainland.
Some describe his actions as looting, though the irony is that if they had remained, the cultural revolution would no doubt have resulted in their destruction. The museum now boasts one of the largest collections in the world, though with the ability to show just a small fraction at a time, rotates much of the collection.
The pieces are of high quality though sadly I only got the couple of pictures above – all kinds of photography are banned in the museum. I get banning flash photography, but not flashless – banning that just tells me the museum wants you to buy stuff from their shop.
The other thing which spoils the museum is the group tours – snaking, or sometimes swarming to the exhibits to the exclusion of others. I recommend going at a quiet time…
Outside there is more room to breathe. It’s amazing this construction is a little over 40 years old – tradition still plays a big part in architecture for this part of the world.
And of course, some Fu Lions are ever present – the totem poll perhaps being influenced by the indigenous population…
Off to the side is the Chih Shan garden. For the most part, not too interesting, though the ponds sport some wildlife.
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