🎨 Chimei Museum, a must-visit in Tainan｜The art palace of a comprehensive museum🏛️

Tainan Chimei Museum is located in Rende District, Tainan City. It is a comprehensive private museum established by Chimei Industrial founder Xu Wenlong. It is currently the private museum and art gallery with the richest collection in Taiwan. The museum opened on the 5th to 8th floors of Chimei Industrial Rende Factory Building in 1992. Initially, it was only open to individuals or groups for reservations. After closing in May 2013, the exhibits were gradually moved to the new museum in Tainan Metropolitan Park. The construction of the new museum started in December 2008, costing about NT$1.85 billion. It was donated to the Tainan City Government on May 17, 2012, and started trial operation on January 1, 2015. It was officially opened to the public in May of the same year. The museum mainly collects about 13,000 Western artworks, covering four major fields: art, musical instruments, weapons and natural history, including Rodin sculptures, famous musical instruments and animal specimens, which have become important cultural assets in Taiwan. The museum is divided into several exhibition areas. The first floor has the Animal Hall, Weapon Hall and Rodin Hall, which display fossils, animal specimens, ancient weapons and Rodin's works; the second floor is the Art Hall and Musical Instrument Hall, which exhibit Western paintings and precious musical instruments from around the world; the outdoor sculpture avenue and waterscape garden provide outdoor art appreciation space. The collections in the museum range from Egyptian artifacts in the 8th century BC to modern famous paintings, suitable for tourists interested in history and art. The current special exhibition "Painters: Entering the Dutch Painting Era in the 16th and 17th Centuries" will be on display from October 26, 2024 to August 31, 2025. This exhibition is based on the Chimei Museum's Dutch painting collection, exhibiting about 50 masterpieces, including works by Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt and Anthony van Dyck, focusing on the painting art of the Dutch Golden Age from the 16th to 17th centuries. Through 12 years of research, the exhibition combines art history with scientific detection techniques such as infrared reflection imaging, ultraviolet light and X-ray photography to reveal the stories behind the paintings. For example, "Saint Lucy in the Fruit Ring" is made up of two canvases with painted images, showing the painter's innovation and skills in the competitive market. The exhibition is divided into four themes: historical background, professional painters' abilities, themes of works (such as customs, still life, landscapes) and scientific detection results, suitable for tourists interested in classical art. In terms of transportation, the nearest public transportation to Chimei Museum is the Taiwan Railway Baoan Station, which is about a 10-minute walk from the station. From downtown Tainan, you can take the Taiwan Railway shuttle bus to "Baoan Station", which takes about 15 minutes and costs about 15-20 yuan. The walking route is along Section 2 of Wenhua Road, with clear road signs and suitable for walking. It is open all year round (closed on Wednesdays and New Year's Eve), suitable for tourists planning to travel to Tainan. ============================ 📍 Address: No. 66, Section 2, Wenhua Road, Rende District, Tainan City, Taiwan 🕰️ Opening hours: 09:30-17:30 daily (closed on Wednesdays and New Year's Eve, last admission at 17:00) 💰 Average consumption per person: Permanent exhibition (NT$200), double exhibition package (NT$450)