National Palace Museum in Chiayi to display ancient treasures in 2020

Taipei, Jan. 29 (CNA) The Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum (NPM) received some 1.04 million visitors in 2019 and is aiming to top that number this year by displaying some of its oldest treasures, according to its director.

The classic displays in 2020 will include the “Jadeite Cabbage with Insects” and "Jade Pi-Hsieh” sculpture, which dates back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 AD-220 AD), Director Peng Tzu-cheng (彭子程) told CNA recently.

In Chinese culture, “Pi-Hsieh” is a mythological creature that has magical powers and can ward off evil forces. It is often portrayed as four-legged winged beast.

The Jadeite Cabbage will be part of a special exhibition, titled “Our beloved treasures: Masterpieces in the National Palace Museum Collection,” which opens on Jan. 23, Peng said.

The NPM in Chiayi, which opened in 2015, drew roughly 760,000 visitors in 2018 and is hoping this year to attract more than the 1.04 million that visited in 2019, Peng said.

As part of the museum’s promotional efforts, it is expanding its Children’s Creative Center, building a new outdoor fountain, and installing slides and other amenities in its park, all of which are expected to be completed this year, he said.

The museum complex, spread over roughly 70 hectares in Chiayi, was built by the central government to enhance the cultural, educational, social and economic development of central and southern Taiwan.

It is the only branch of the famous National Palace Museum in Taipei’s Shilin District.