National Palace Museum artifacts to travel to Penghu

Taipei, March 7 (CNA) Select works from the National Palace Museum's (NPM) collection will cross the sea to be displayed in the outlying Penghu County in May, said NPM Director Hsiao Tsung-huang (蕭宗煌) at a press event Thursday.

Hsiao said the works to be shown at the Penghu Living Museum in the county's capital of Magong from May 17 to Aug. 17 include some of the NPM's best-known works such as the Qing Dynasty's "meat-shaped stone" and "right-spiraling conch" and the "chicken cup" from the Ming Dynasty.

They and the other works in the exhibition will be accompanied by brand new digital displays that are engagingly interactive, the NPM director said.

Hsiao was joined at the press event in the outlying county by Penghu County Commissioner Chen Kuang-fu (陳光復) to ink an exhibit loan agreement for the exhibition, which will center around Penghu's significant role during the Age of Discovery.

Chen said Penghu has historically played a central role in maritime trade in East Asia, helping it become a location rich in history and culture.

That will be reflected in the NPM show, which will also feature archeological antiques and historical relics from the county during the Age of Discovery, which runs roughly from the 15th to 17th century, Chen said.

He hoped that the cultural richness of the event would represent an important step in advancing the county's cultural tourism.

Hsiao, meanwhile, noted that 2025 marks the centennial of the founding of the NPM, the 60th anniversary of the main structure of the Taipei museum, and the 10th anniversary of the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum in Chiayi County.

Given those milestones, the exhibition of the museum's collection in Penghu is a truly significant occasion, Hsiao said.

The Penghu County government said the museum is closed every Thursday. Admission to the NPM exhibition will be free to all Penghu residents and NT$80 (US$2.44) for other visitors.