National Palace Museum's 'Dragons' exhibition opens in Paris

Paris, Nov. 18 (CNA) An exhibition curated by Taiwan's National Palace Museum (NPM) exploring the cultural and historical significance of dragons across Asia opened at the Musée du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac in Paris Tuesday.

NPM Director Hsiao Tsung-huang (蕭宗煌) and Deputy Director Yu Pei-chin (余佩瑾) joined Emmanuel Kasarhérou, president of the Musée du Quai Branly, at an opening ceremony for "Dragons."

According to the NPM, visitors entering the gallery are first greeted by the "Jade Plate with Dragon Pattern (玉龍紋盤)," a national treasure believed to date to the Liao or Northern Song dynasty.

Nearby stands another highlight: the "Celestial Globe Vase with Lotus and Dragon Decoration in Underglaze Blue (青花穿蓮龍紋天球瓶)" from the Yongle period of the Ming dynasty.

Yu, who also served as co-curator, told CNA that the NPM loaned 83 objects to the exhibition. Among them, the jade plate is considered the centerpiece for its exceptionally detailed depiction of a dragon.

She said the exhibition is divided into four sections: dragon imagery across historical eras, dragons in folklore and religion, imperial dragon culture and contemporary interpretations of dragons.

Other NPM national treasures on display include a "Pan Water Vessel with Coiling Dragon Pattern (蟠龍紋盤)" from the late Shang dynasty and two jade imperial seals of the Qianlong Emperor -- the "Treasure of His Majesty at 70 (古稀天子之寶)" and the "Treasure of His Majesty at 80 (八徵耄念之寶)" -- created to mark the emperor's 70th and 80th birthdays.

The Taipei museum's artifacts feature mainly in the first three sections, while the Quai Branly also invited the Musée des Arts Asiatiques de Nice, the Musée Guimet and the Musée Cernuschi to participate.

Security was also a major focus during the exhibition following a high-profile theft of historically significant jewels from the Louvre in October, prompting widespread scrutiny of museum safeguards across France.

The NPM said it carried out internal reviews and simulations and worked closely with the Musée du Quai Branly to ensure rigorous protection of the loaned artifacts.

Hsiao noted that while the Louvre relies on added security systems installed within a historic structure, the modern architecture of the Quai Branly incorporates advanced security mechanisms from the outset, resulting in stronger overall protection.

More than 700 guests attended Monday evening's opening reception, including Taiwan's representative to France, Hao Pei-chih (郝培芝) and Marie-Noëlle Battistel, chair of the French National Assembly's Taiwan friendship group.

"Dragons" runs through March 1, 2026.