In celebration of the centennial of the National Palace Museum (NPM), the NPM held an exclusive press tour today (the 16th). Led by NPM Director Tsung-Huang Hsiao, Deputy Directors Yung-Tai Huang and Pei-Chin Yu, and Secretary General Yao-Feng Wang, the curatorial teams introduced three special exhibitions for centennial celebration, “Two Hundred Treasures: Song Dynasty Rare Books in the National Palace Museum Collection,” “An Assembly for the Ages: The Legend of the Northern Song Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden,” and “Enduring Legacy: A Centennial Celebration of the National Palace Museum” on view at the Southern and the Northern Branches, demonstrating the NPM curatorial momentum for both retrospect and prospect.

In his remark, NPM Director Tsung-Huang Hsiao quoted Deputy Director Pei-Chin Yu’s three key phrases “A Dazzling Carnival of Exhibitions,” “A Storytelling of NPM Growth via Artifacts,” and “A Showcase of International Dialogue Energy via International Collaborative Exhibitions” to map out the curatorial prospect for the NPM centennial celebration, recounting the growth and metamorphosis of the Museum. In this glorious October, the grand centenary exhibitions make their debut successively. “Two Hundred Treasures” displays the profusion of Song dynasty rare books in the NPM collection. “An Assembly for the Ages” featuring Su Shi represents the Legend of the Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden told for over a millennium, just so for the precious works of calligraphy and painting by the literati in the Song Dynasty to gather at Waishuangxi today. As the NPM centennial finale, “Enduring Legacy,” with the curatorial axis of Storytelling via NPM Artifacts, zooms in on the NPM’s history of 75 years in Taiwan and 60 years at Waishuangxi, Taipei, testifying the locus of the NPM artifacts evolving side by side with the society in Taiwan. The NPM Centennial Exhibition series invites visitors to rediscover the NPM’s collection and research achievements, and to reflect on how the artifacts are perceived and interpreted in Taiwan. Hopefully, society as a whole may have a better knowledge of the NPM’s efforts in research and preservation. With this centennial as the point of departure, we shall stride towards the century to come.

On the NPM exhibition “Two Hundred Treasures: Song Dynasty Rare Books in the National Palace Museum Collection,” according to Assistant Researcher Chi-Kang Tseng at the Department of Painting, Calligraphy, Rare Books and Historical Documents, with “皕宋” (meaning “Two Hundred” and “Song Dynasty” literally) in its title, the exhibition echoes with the NPM centennial celebration and nods to the legend of “皕宋樓” (“Bi Song Lou”, or “Pavilion of Two Hundred Volumes of Song Dynasty Rare Books” literally) built by Lu Xinyuan, a book collector in the Qing Dynasty. As the woodblock printing technology matured, it marked the leap of the Song Dynasty society around the 10th century from “the Age of Manuscripts” to “the Age of Block Prints” as the most splendid golden era in the publishing history. Featuring 98 antiquarian books of the Song Dynasty across two exhibition periods, it is a special exhibition of Song Dynasty rare books that is the largest in scale and the highest in caliber in the NPM history, with nearly half being unique extant copies, representing an unparalleled level of rarity.

The NPM curator, Chi-Kang Tseng, pointed out that the exhibition guides visitors through a millennium of scholarly heritage in seven topics. Spanning from woodblock craftsmanship and printing technology to knowledge dissemination and book art, it sheds light on the classic elegance of Song Dynasty rare books imbued with academic value and artistic beauty. For visitors to experience in depth the binding features and reading styles of the Song Dynasty rare books, an interactive section is set up in the exhibition. Utilizing the digital images of the Song Dynasty rare books, the NPM restoration team printed them directly onto the traditional mulberry paper and manually recreated in the format of “butterfly binding” of the Song Dynasty, producing facsimiles for one to flip through. Hence, visitors are able to personally feel the texture of and the charm in reading in ancient times, appreciating the ingenuity and literary heritage betwixt pages.

On the NPM exhibition “An Assembly for the Ages: The Legend of the Northern Song Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden,” Calligraphy” in 2006

Centering around Su Shi, literary and artistic luminaries like Huang Tingjian, Li Gonglin, and Mi Fu gathered together. It not only stirred up a buzz in the Song Dynasty but also rippled out to Korea and Japan. To date, “the Su Shi Circle” continues to draw countless fans. The nationally-treasures and masterpieces, including Former Ode on the Red Cliff by Su Shi, Poem on the Hall of Pines and Wind by Huang Tingjian, On Sichuan Silk by Mi Fu, among others, are on display together once again after nearly 20 years since “Grand View: Special Exhibition of Northern Sung Painting and Calligraphy” in 2006.

The Chief Curator and Department Head Yan-Chiuan He pointed out that the essence of the Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden lies in two cultural iconographies of “Su Shi’s writing” and “Li Gonglin’s painting,” symbolizing “the Advent of the Era of Su Shi” and the genesis of the artistic self-awareness among the literati. In particular, this is a rare occasion for Five Horses by Li Gonglin loaned from Tokyo National Museum to have its debut abroad. The painter applied the traditional silk scroll techniques on paper, opening a new chapter for “painting on paper.” The first four sets of horses and figures in portrait-like presentation demonstrate flowing brushstrokes and precise lines, exhibiting the painter’s meticulous brushwork and observation. Celebrated as a dreamlike reappearance in recent years and the universally-accepted sole authentic work by Li Gonglin, this piece marked the dawn of the era of “literati painting.”

On “Enduring Legacy: A Centennial Celebration of the National Palace Museum” on display at the NPM Southern and the Northern Branches, led by NPM Deputy Director Pei-Chin Yu, the exhibition was planned by the cross-functional curatorial team composed of the Department of Antiquities, Department of Painting, Calligraphy, Rare Books and Historical Documents, Department of the Southern Branch Museum Affairs, Office of Digital Information Services, and Department of Exhibition Services. The exhibition features over a hundred cherrypicked items from the NPM collection, spanning diverse mediums like calligraphy, painting, documents, ancient texts, artifacts, dossier, and digital works. With a focus on the key turning points in the NPM history, it presents how the cultural relics have been perceived, interpreted, and reborn across different ages. In addition, emphasizing the 60 years of journey of the NPM Northern Branch, the exhibition presents facets of the creation and expansion of the collection system, the overseas exhibitions and international exchanges, the research and interpretation of the collection, as well as the process of digital archiving through the four topics of “Brilliance behind the Door,” “Dialogue with the World,” “Tapestry of the Knowledge,” and “Expedition into the Future.”

The Chief Curator and NPM Deputy Director Pei-Chin Yu pointed out that “Enduring Legacy” in the title was inspired by Revolving Brush Holders with "Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches" Motif in Yangcai Painted Enamels, Qianlong Reign (1736-1795), Qing Dynasty, which also echoes with the axis of “time” in the curatorial statement. The pair of brush holders were created for the arrival of 1744, or the year of “Jia Zi” (甲子), which functions as a calendar. The Brush Holders feature a two-tiered rotatable structure that enables alignment of Heavenly Stems (tiangan) and Earthly Branches (dizhi) in any year. To date, it can still be turned to the current year of “Yi Si.” (乙巳). Rotated back to “Jia Zi,” it corresponds to the year of creation of the Brush Holders. Having endured for 282 years, the Brush Holders were passed down for generations along with its timeless mechanism of ingenuity and meaning of profundity, the duo is a symbol of temporal cycle and cultural continuum. Hopefully, the visitors can have a glimpse at the NPM’s trajectory of growth in Taiwan through the exhibition, along with the best wishes for the future of the NPM. Time incessantly flows forward, instead of backward. It changes the world and the NPM. Furthermore, it is a reminder for us to press on steadfastly amidst the currents of time, as we join hands to usher in the new chapter for the century to come.

“Enduring Legacy” at the NPM gathers national treasures such as Narcissus Basin in Celadon Glaze, Ru Ware, Northern Song Dynasty, Late 11th-Early 12th Century, Pillow in the Shape of a Recumbent Child in White Glaze, Ding Ware, Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), and Zangwen Xieben Longzang Jing (The Tibetan Dragon Sūtra), showcasing the profound heritage in the NPM collection of a century. In addition, exhibited are various works of painting and calligraphy classified for restricted display and designated as national treasures. Aside from Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains (Master Wuyong Scroll) by Huang Gongwang in the Yuan Dynasty to be on display after 9 years later, there is also Three Passages: Ping'an, Heru, and Fengju, Wang Xizhi (303-361), Jin Dynasty (265-420), a masterpiece created using the method of “double outlines filled with ink.” The piece, with its meticulous and artful brushstroke, is reputed as “being inferior only to the original,” which serves as an important hint for the exploration of the Regular Script written by Wang Xizhi, the Sage of Calligraphy over a thousand years ago. There is also The Cold Food Observance, Su Shi, Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). With the accession number “Gou Shu 001001,” this piece is an eminent piece acquired by the National Palace Museum in 1987, which was praised by the Ming Dynasty calligrapher Dong Qichang as “the finest of Su’s works he had ever witnessed.”

Furthermore, also displayed are Gilt Bronze Sakyamuni Buddha and Bodhisattva Mandala. Donated by Mr. Peng Kai-dong to the NPM and currently entrusted to Kyushu National Museum, both have been designated as important cultural properties of Japan. From November 11 to December 28, Travelers among Mountains and Streams by Fan Kuan, Early Spring by Guo Xi and Whispering Pines in Myriad Valleys by Li Tang, famed internationally as the NPM trio of monumental landscape paintings from the Northern Song dynasty, will make their collective debut at the NPM Southern Branch, with a focus on the perception and interpretation the masterpieces had across times.

In celebration of the NPM centennial, both the NPM Southern and Northern Branches will open for free admission on October 17, i.e., Taiwan Culture Day. Meanwhile, in response to the “2025 Nuit Blanche Taipei” organized by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City, the Exhibition Hall I of the Northern Branch is to extend its opening hours to 9 o’clock at night on Saturday, November 1. Free admission will be open from 5 to 9 p.m. on the date. (Visitors may get the tickets from the e-ticket vending machines on B1 or at the lobby on 1F of the Main Building.) All visitors are welcome to join us in offering best wishes for the 100th anniversary of the National Palace Museum.

[Exhibition Information]
Two Hundred Treasures: Song Dynasty Rare Books in the National Palace Museum Collection (I)
Dates: 2025/10/03 – 2026/01/04
Venue: Galleries 103 &104, Exhibition Hall I, NPM Northern Branch

An Assembly for the Ages: The Legend of the Northern Song Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden
Dates: 2025/10/10 – 2026/01/07
Venue: Galleries 202, 204, 206, 208, 210 and 212, NPM Northern Branch
 
Enduring Legacy: A Centennial Celebration of the National Palace Museum
● Northern Branch
   Dates: 2025/10/04 – 2026/01/04
   Venue: Galleries 105 & 107, Exhibition Hall I
   *Ding Cauldron of Duke Mao, Late Western Zhou and Hu Wine Vessel of Song, Late Western Zhou on view in Gallery 305
● Southern Branch
   Dates: 2025/10/14 – 2026/03/01
   Venue: Gallery S203
   * Paintings designated as national treasures for restricted display: Travelers among Mountains and Streams by Fan Kuan, Early Spring by Guo Xi, and Whispering Pines in  Myriad Valleys by Li Tang, on view 2025/11/11 – 2025/12/28
   *Stupa Railing with Tree Goddesses, Kushan Empire, 2nd to 3rd Century, on view in Gallery S303
   * Palampore with Tree of Life Motif, India, on view in Gallery S304






Media Liaison of the National Palace Museum
Emily Wang   +886 2 2881 2021 #68991  Email: emily@npm.gov.tw
Wan-Yu Yang  +886 2 2881 2021 #68900  Email: yuyang@npm.gov.tw