Taiwan's National Military Museum to open in 2027

Taipei, Sept. 14 (CNA) The National Military Museum, currently under construction in Taipei, is scheduled to open in 2027 and will showcase a range of retired weapons systems, according to the Military News Agency.

The museum is already more than two-thirds complete, the agency reported Saturday.

According to the museum's preparatory office, the venue will feature various types of retired weapons, notably an M5A1 tank, an F-5 fighter jet, an MIM-23 HAWK missile and an OH-13 helicopter.

M5A1 tanks were crucial in helping the forces of the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan's official name) secure victory over the People's Liberation Army of the Chinese Communist Party in the Battle of Guningtou on offshore Kinmen County in 1949, earning the tank the nickname "Bear of Kinmen."

The preparatory office said it has set aside exhibition space to accommodate future additions to its collection.

The seven-story building will feature a lofty, 30-meter-high lobby and a corridor flanked by installations inspired by color guards and marching bands, designed to create an "awe-inspiring atmosphere" that reflects the discipline of the nation's armed forces, the office said.

The permanent exhibition will span the second through sixth floors, covering themes such as the development of militaries worldwide, World War II, historical battles between the ROC and China, Taiwan's efforts to achieve defense autonomy, and the international situation, it said.

The venue features a 298-seat performance space, an outdoor display area, a children's area and a reading area, as well as a dining area on the seventh floor overlooking the Keelung River, it added.