The National Palace Museum holds what the Forbidden City in Beijing no longer has — the Jadeite Cabbage, Meat-Shaped Stone, and millennia of Chinese civilisation under one roof.
Honestly — if you visit Taipei and skip this, you're walking away from something rare.
Ever wonder where the treasures from the Forbidden City ended up? The answer is Taipei. Between 1948 and 1949, the Republic of China government transported over 700,000 pieces of imperial artefacts — spanning the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties — to Taiwan for safekeeping. That collection became the National Palace Museum we can visit today.
The scale is staggering. Only a rotating selection of a few thousand pieces is on display at any time. If you viewed every item at three minutes each, you would need roughly six years to finish. No need to panic — we've picked the highlights that really matter.
Short on time? These four are the highlights most visitors come specifically for.
Carved from a single piece of mottled green-and-white jade — no paint, no added colour. The carver exploited the natural colour zones in the stone to create a head of cabbage with a grasshopper and a locust hidden among the leaves.
Tip: Usually in the Jade Gallery on floor 1, but it does rotate. Check the official website before your visit.
A piece of natural jasper whose layered colours and texture look uncannily like a steamed pork belly. The Qing-dynasty craftsman did almost nothing — nature did all the work. Every layer, from skin to fat to meat, is already there in the stone.
Tip: Usually displayed near the Jadeite Cabbage. Spot one and the other is likely close by.
A Western Zhou bronze vessel over 2,800 years old, inscribed with the longest text ever found on a Chinese bronze — 497 characters recording royal ceremonies and imperial edicts from inside the vessel's base.
Tip: Historians make the trip just for this. It alone justifies the ticket price.
A Song-dynasty handscroll over 5 metres long capturing everyday life in the city of Kaifeng during the Qingming Festival — hundreds of figures, boats, markets and bridges rendered in extraordinary detail.
Note: This piece rotates in and out of display. Check the exhibition schedule ahead of time.
| Visitor Type | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General Admission | NT$350 | Standard price |
| Student / Senior | NT$150 | Show ID at the counter |
| Under 18 | Free | With accompanying adult |
| Tuesday 17:00–20:00 | Free | Weekly free evening session |
Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday 09:00–17:00 · Closed every Monday and during parts of Lunar New Year. Check the official website before you go to confirm current opening.
Pro tip: Going early in the morning? MRT + bus is often faster than a taxi because it avoids traffic lights. Recommended if you're travelling light.
A 15-minute hike from the MRT delivers one of the best views of Taipei 101 in the city — especially at golden hour.
Read the guide →Watch the hourly changing of the guard ceremony inside Liberty Square — free entry, right in the heart of Taipei.
Read the guide →A gold-mining hilltop town with narrow lantern-lined alleyways and hillside teahouses overlooking the sea.
Read the guide →