National Palace Museum, Taipei (must see)

The primary building of the National Palace Museum in Taipei was designed by Huang Baoyu and was constructed from March 1964 to August 1965. Because there wasn't enough space to display over 600,000 artifacts, the museum underwent expansions in 1967, 1970, 1984, 1996, and 2002.

The museum's collection includes antiquities that span thousands of years and encompass various genres. The museum's permanent exhibitions of painting and calligraphy change every three months. At any given time, about 3,000 pieces from the museum's collection are on display, with the remainder safely stored in temperature-controlled vaults. Despite their brevity, these exhibitions are highly popular among visitors.

The National Palace Museum's compound also includes the Zhishan Garden, a classical Chinese garden in the style of the Song and Ming dynasties, covering an area of 1.88 hectares. This garden incorporates principles from various fields such as feng shui, Chinese architecture, water management, landscape design, and Chinese folklore and metaphor. It features numerous ponds, water features, and wooden Chinese pavilions. Additionally, there is another Chinese-style garden nearby called the Shuangxi Park and Chinese Garden.

Why You Should Visit:
Very educational museum – everything is in three languages and the way it walks through history is fascinating.
The premier items are the Jadeite Cabbage and the Meat-Shaped Jasper, which are both beautiful pieces.

Tip:
Try arriving early and on weekdays to avoid the large tour groups. Go and see the main attractions first!
Definitely use the audio guide if you have plenty of time and are keen to learn more about the key exhibited pieces.
There is also a 75-min guided tour in English (pre-book online on NPM website) that gives a splendid overview of the bronze, ceramics, calligraphy & special items.
Visit the Zhishan Garden beside if you are in the mood to chill (museum ticket gives admission). If not, move on to the next place which is Yangmingshan National Park.