TheTaipeiPalaceMuseumandthefamousForbiddenCityinBeijingarederivedfromthesameinstitution,whichwassplitintotwoasaresultoftheChineseCivilWar.
ThesplendidarchitectureofthestructureismodeledontheForbiddenCityinBeijingandincorporateselementsoftraditionalChineseroyaldesigninfeudalsociety.Themuseumitselfhasfourfloors.Thefirst,secondandthirdfloorsareusedforexhibitions,whilethefourthfloorisaloungewherevisitorscanrest.
TheTaipeiPalaceMuseumhouseslargecollectionofpricelessChineseartifactsandartwork,includingancientbronzecastings,
calligraphy,scrollpaintings,porcelain,jade,andrarebooks,manyofwhichwerepossessionsoftheformerimperialfamily.Thefullcollection,whichconsistsofsome650,000pieces,spansmany
dynasties.Eachexhibit,however,putsondisplayonlyabout1,700piecesatatime.Atthisrate,assumingadurationofthreemonthsforeachexhibit,itwilltake100yearstocyclethroughtheentirecollection!
OntheleftsideofthemuseumhallisChih-shanGarden,whichshowcasesmanyoftheelementsoftraditionalChinesegardeningart.Insidethegarden,pavilions,littlebridges,flowingwater,windingpathsandgreentreescombinetocreateanatmosphereofsimplicityandserenity.
OntherightsideofthemuseumhallisChih-teGarden.
Strollingthroughit,youwillmarvelatthebeautyofthepavilions,bridgesandpondsthatgracethisgarden,especiallyinautumn,whenthecoolwindcarriesthefragranceofthelotusandsweet-scentedosmanthus.