National Palace Museum Southern Branch

NATIONAL PALACE MUSEUM SOUTHERN BRANCH, CHIAYI

The southern branch of the National Palace Museum, which was opened in 2013, is a museum which not only celebrates Taiwan, but its place within Asia, and highlights the inter-connectedness of Asian cultures over hundreds of years - the first museum in Asia with this mandate.

The building may look sleek and modern, but it has a strong traditional foundation: the design of the Southern Branch borrowed from three techniques found in traditional Chinese ink-wash painting. The museum is also the first museum in Taiwan to have a Muslim prayer room, evidencing the modern multi-cultural nature of Taiwan, and indeed Asia itself.

Inside, you can find exhibits including textiles, ceramics and tea, artifacts from Japan & Korea, as well as references to Buddhism and Islam, and of course a large collection of Taiwanese antiques - including those which were sometimes displayed at the National Palace Museum in Taipei