Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mr Lin's collection counts over 10,000 pieces, only a portion of which are on display
at any time. You'll still see a lot on any visit, though, as almost every space in the cafe is
utilised. Juxtapositions can be amusingly jarring, such as when you turn from examining
a wooden torch used in Beiguan musical performances to playful statues of the patron
god of prostitutes or a propaganda leaflet that urges children to 'eat mooncakes and kill
communist bandits'.
The museum is free but stay for a coffee, best enjoyed on one of the old marble-topped
round tables.
National Museum of History
MUSEUM
(Guólì Lìshǐ Bówùguǎn;
www.nmh.gov.tw
;
49 Nanhai Rd; admission NT$30; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun;
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall)
Established in 1955 with a collection from Henan
province, this is one of Taipei's best museums of Chinese art. Exhibits are small, and
cover the range of dynasties, but most works are masterpieces. Even the entrance cor-
ridor boasts exquisite Buddhist sculpture, including a mesmerising nine-layer stone
tower with the thousand Buddhas motif. It hails from the 5th century AD.
The museum is also the site of frequent exhibitions of foreign art, which have included
works by Cezanne, Picasso and, more recently, Michelangelo. By the time you read this
(
www.ntcri.gov.tw
)
should have opened next door.
Botanical Gardens
GARDENS
(Zhíwùyuán; 53 Nanhai Rd; 4am-10pm; Xiaonanmen)
An oasis in the city, this
8-hectare park has well-stocked greenhouses, literature- and Chinese-zodiac-themed gar-
dens, a lotus pond and myriad lanes where you can lose yourself in quiet contemplation.
The gardens were established by the Japanese in 1921 and are part of a larger neighbour-
hood that maintains an old Taipei feel.
Within the park itself look for the
Qing administrative office
(built 1888) and a
herb-
arium
(from 1924). On Nanhai Rd check out the
Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School
(
built 1909), the
National Taiwan 228 Memorial Museum
(
1931), and the buildings as-
sociated with the National Museum of History and the adjacent Nanhai Academy.
Da'an Park
PARK
