The Taipei Palace Museum launched a landmark exhibition this week to commemorate its 100th anniversary, showcasing rare imperial artifacts that trace China's cultural legacy. The celebration coincides with the October 10 anniversary of Beijing's Palace Museum – the former Forbidden City – which first opened as a public institution in 1925 following the fall of China's last imperial dynasty.
Visitors to the Taiwan-based museum can now view meticulously preserved Qing dynasty porcelain, Ming-era paintings, and Song dynasty calligraphy works. Curators emphasize the exhibition's focus on “shared cultural heritage across the strait,” with many pieces originally housed in Beijing's imperial collections before being relocated during wartime periods.
Cultural scholars note the timing holds symbolic significance, as both institutions trace their origins to the 1925 establishment of Beijing's Palace Museum. The Taipei collection later formed after artifacts were transported to the island of Taiwan for protection during the Chinese Civil War.
This anniversary comes as cross-strait cultural exchanges show gradual revival, with recent collaborations between mainland and Taiwan museums drawing record attendance. The exhibition runs through March 2025, offering travelers and history enthusiasts a unique window into China's imperial past.
