Enjoying Taiwan Museums Remarkable Museums CONTENTSCONTENTS Preface 06 Museums in Taiwan 08 39 10 Must-Visit Museums National Palace Museum 12 National Taiwan Museum 14 National Museum of History 16 National Museum of Natural Science 18 National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts 20 National Taiwan Craft Research & Development Institute 22 National Museum of Taiwan Literature 24 National Science and Technology Museum 26 National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium 28 National Museum of Prehistory 30 CONTENTS Remarkable Museums 39Academia Historica 34 Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall 35 National Dr. Sun Yat- Sen Memorial Hall 36 National Taiwan Science Education Center 37 Various Museums in the Academia Sinica 38 Taipei 228 Memorial Museum 39 Taipei Fine Arts Museum 40 Taipei County Shihsanhang Museum of Archaeology 41 National Palace Museum 12 Tamsui Historic Sites 42 National Taiwan Museum 14 Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taipei County 43 National Museum of History 16 Gold Ecological Park 44 National Museum of Natural Science 18 Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei 45 National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts 20 Museum of World Religions 46 National Taiwan Craft Research & Development Institute 22 Taiwan Folk Arts Museum 47 National Museum of Taiwan Literature 24 Children’s Art Museum in Taipei 48 National Science and Technology Museum 26 Juming Museum 49 National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium 28 Li Tien-lu Hand Puppet Historical Museum 50 National Museum of Prehistory 30 Lin Liu-Hsin Puppet Theatre Museum 51 Remarkable Museums Evergreen Maritime Museum 52 Miniatures Museum of Taiwan 53 Postal Museum 54 Shun Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines 55 Honggah Museum 56 Cheng Nan-jung Liberty Museum 57 Su Ho Memorial Paper Museum 58 National Radio Museum 59 8 National Museum of Taiwan History 60 Taiwan Salt Museum 61 Chimei Museum 62 Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts 63 Kaohsiung Museum of History 64 Kaohsiung County Meei-Nong Hakka Museum 65 Fu Guang Yuan Art Gallery 66 National Center for Traditional Arts 67 Lanyang Museum 68 Taiwan Theater Museum 69 Hualien Stone Sculpture Museum 70 Penghu Living Museum 71 Lieyu Township Art Cultural Hall 72 8Selected Museums National Taiwan University Museums 76 Art Museum, National Taiwan University of Arts 77 National Cheng Kung University Museum 78 Hwa Kang Museum, Chinese Culture University 79 Tamkang University Maritime Museum 80 Huafan Cultural Gallery 81 Formosa Plastics Group Museum 82 Ling Tung Numismatic Museum 83 Cultural Heritage Tourism 86 Ilha Formosa 98 Traveling In Taiwan: Sounds and Sights of Taiwan 104 National Parks Folk Customs and Temple Festivals Local Cultural Festivals Gourmet Food General Information of Taiwan 120 Editor’s Note 124 Acknowledgements 142 Enjoying Taiwan Museums Preface Today's Taiwan enjoys peace and prosperity. Thanks to the tireless effort of the government, the concept of cultural tourism has become popular in recent years and has gradually insinuated itself into the consciousness of the public. By providing us with interesting places with their diverse exhibition themes, museums have become important transmitters of culture where people may spend their leisure time amidst an atmosphere of culture. According to a 2009 survey of the nation’s museums, a total of 646 organizations qualify as museums. Of these, 221 organizations met the strict criteria demanded of museums. These museums are spread across the island of Taiwan and nearby islands, forming cultural communities of various sizes. The 2010 publication of this pamphlet, Enjoying Taiwan Museums, by the Chinese Association of Museums was made possible by the kindness of the Tourism Bureau, an affiliate of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, and Yingge Ceramics Museum. It is hoped that by reading this small booklet, people will be inspired to personally visit the great variety of museums to be found on Taiwan. The Chinese Association of Museums (CAM) was founded in 1990 and is the most important professional society of museum specialists in Taiwan. At present, there are 96 member institutions, which include all the representative public and private museums and organizations. In addition there are another 242 individual members who are museum specialists. The goal of CAM is to become a communication platform for domestic museums, and continually improve the professional aspect of domestic museums through the efforts of board members, secretariat, and the Committee of Professionals. Moreover, CAM publishes Museum Newsletters and Journal of Museum and Culture (the first issue of which will be published in April 2011), conducts research related to museum issues commissioned by the government or academic 6 organizations, provides training programs, professional services and consultation, as well as promotes exchange programs with other museums throughout the world. Since the establishment of CAM, government support has enabled this organization to attend many international meetings where ideas have been exchanged with other museum organizations, specialists, and scholars from all over the world. For example, CAM participated in the 2004 ICOM (International Council of Museums) General Assembly in Seoul, and the 2007 Assembly in Vienna. We hosted the 2006 INTERCOM (International Committee on Management) conference and meeting in Taipei, and attended the annual meeting held in 2007 and 2009 by AAM (American Association of Museums) in the United States. When attending these assemblies, we had the strong impression that our international friends were very curious about the development of Taiwan's museums and desired to know more. We hope the publication of this pamphlet will provide interested individuals around the world with a better understanding of Taiwan's museums and important informations concerning cultural tours. 57 museums located in various areas of Taiwan and outside islands have been specially selected and introduced with nearby tourist attractions for this very purpose. It is our belief that this pamphlet will be a helpful guide for exploring Taiwan's museums. Although the size of Taiwan is limited, it contains rich natural resources and a varied cultural landscape. Since Taiwan's museums represent the essence of this richness, they are definitely worth an in-depth visit. We welcome you with all our hearts. Chinese Association of Museums Chairwoman Chen Huo-cing Lacquer vase of vines and plants, 1989 Taichung County Cultural Affairs Bureau 2010.10 7 Enjoying Taiwan Museums Human-formed beast earings (jade) National Museum of Prehistory Museums in Taiwan Located off the coast of southeast China, Taiwan it has systematically collected and studied local is a long and narrow island lying on a north-south natural and anthropological specimens, and bit by bit axis. The island covers an area of 36,000 square played a role in building Taiwan’s modern system of kilometers, and has a population of approximately 23 knowledge. million. Despite its relatively small size, Formosa, or Taiwan, is generously endowed with natural resources In the 1960s, the National Palace Museum was and cultural landscapes. This is one of the few island established with its exquisite collection of the finest countries in the world blessed with such diverse flora artifacts from China’s various dynasties. National and fauna, together with such a variety of cultures. It Museum of History, National Taiwan Science is no surprise to learn that 646 museums of varying Education Hall, and National Art Education Hall were sizes have been established on the island. also founded during the same period, thus beginning the era of introducing western museum management Taiwan already boasts over a century of into the development of Taiwan's museums. museum development; from 1908 to date, with the year 2008 marking In the 1980s, Taiwan society experienced its centennial anniversary. great change as the nation enjoyed Among these many museums, prosperity and freedom. The government the National Taiwan started paying attention to the Museum was established establishment of public in 1908 (known during museums, hence the founding the period of Japanese rule of the Taipei Fine Arts as "Bureau of Productive Museum, National Museum Industries Museum, of Natural Science, National Government-General of Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan"). With the and National Science and longest history, Technology Museum. With the support of the government, Sakya(Bronze) cultural exchanges with Taipei Fine Arts Museum Cizhou ware ceramic figure of a military leader, with overglaze decoration, Jin Dynasty 8 Chang Foundation Paiwan Wooden Shield Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines Famille rose ruby- ground vases, painted with boys at a festival, Qing Dynasty other nations in the world were initiated, thereby become increasingly diverse. enabling the people of Taiwan to better appreciate The cultivation of professional the work of museums, and to become involved in talents and the promotion of museum activities. international cultural exchanges are also an important aspect of In the 1990s, with further economical and museum operation. educational progress, private museums began to flourish in number and diversity, such as Shung Ye Every museum contains an abundant collection, Museum of Formosan Aborigines, Chimei Museum, and it is the cultural profundity of these artifacts Chang Foundation, Su Ho Memorial Paper Museum, that constitutes the fundamental source of creative Juming Museum, and Museum of World Religions. inspiration for each museum. By employing the The establishment