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National Palace Museum

One of the world’s four great museums with ~700,000 Chinese artifacts. Don’t miss the Three Treasures (Jadeite Cabbage, Meat-shaped Stone, Mao Gong Ding). Express route 60–100 min; check the 2026 north-south rotation.

Why it matters

Ranked with the Louvre, the Met and the Hermitage. ~700,000 Song-to-Qing imperial pieces, ~20,000 on display. An official 60-minute精選 route runs from 3F bronzes to 1F curios for school trips.

The Three Treasures

Jadeite Cabbage: Qing dowry piece. Half-green half-white jade carving; cabbage = purity, grasshopper + locust = many descendants.
Meat-shaped Stone: jasper carved and dyed into Dongpo pork, with drilled pores and soy-sauce glaze.
Mao Gong Ding: 9th-c. BCE bronze with 497 characters inside—the longest extant inscription, a national treasure. Plus the 23-layer rotating ivory ball.

Suggested route & time

Express 60–100 min: 3F bronzes (Ding) → 3F jades (Cabbage, Stone) → 1F curios. Half a day for a deep visit.
Japanese audio guides available. No food or drink inside.
Pair with the Martyrs’ Shrine changing of the guard + Shilin Night Market.

Access

No. 221, Sec. 2, Zhishan Rd., Shilin, Taipei. ~30 min from downtown by car/bus. Buy e-tickets in advance.

Warnings (2026 important)

The Cabbage and Stone rotate between Northern Branch Rm 302 (Taipei) and Southern Branch S302 (Chiayi). Check the official rotation notice or you may miss them.
Mostly closed Mondays (special openings excepted); exhibits may change for maintenance.

Photo spots

Museum approach, Zhishan Garden, cabbage souvenirs at the museum shop.

Editor's Take

在故宮的迴廊間，我們與五千年的智慧擦肩而過。每一件器物，都是時光凍結出的最美註腳。

台北故宮是一座跨越五千年的中華藝術殿堂，將華夏文明最巔峰的想像力與工藝技術，悉數安放在這座背山面水的宏偉建築中。從溫潤如脂的翠玉白菜、蒼茫弘大的北宋山水到巧奪天工的清代轉心瓶。在那極致的審美修辭、珍稀的文物氣息與深邃的歷史厚度環抱下，展現出一種壯麗、靜謐且具備全球頂尖文化震撼性的博古美學。這是每一位對美、歷史與智慧有極致追求者的人生必經之地。