The National Palace Museum (NPM) marked a perfect centennial milestone this year. A media tea reception was held today (the 24th). Led by NPM Director Hsiao Tsung-Huang, along with Deputy Directors Huang Yung-Tai and Yu Pei-Chin, the NPM briefed the achievements of the centennial celebration, the progress of the New NPM Project, and a preview of the marvelous exhibition lineup for 2026. Director Hsiao stated that through the collective effort of the fellow NPM colleagues, the 100th Anniversary of National Palace Museum has successfully presented over 10 innovative exhibitions of diversity and novelty that are close to the lives of the public, developed over a thousand co-branded centennial products in collaboration with over a hundred vendors, and published relevant books, including The Chronicle of National Palace Museum: 2000-2024. Meanwhile, aside from the voyage to Penghu amongst the outlying islands and Yilan in Eastern Taiwan, the NPM treasures graced Prague, Czech Republic, and Paris, France, to great acclaim. Rooted locally, the NPM of a century advance internationally, fulfilling the vision of “the NPM for All” and “the NPM for the World.”
Director Hsiao noted that apart from a century since the NPM’s establishment, this year is a year of significance that marks the 75th year of the NPM in Taiwan, the 60th year in Waishuangxi, Taipei, and the 10th anniversary of the Southern Branch. Hence, through the three keywords, i.e., “A Dazzling Carnival of Exhibitions,” “A Storytelling of NPM Growth via Artifacts,” and “A Showcase of International Dialogue Energy via International Collaborative Exhibitions,” the special exhibitions throughout the year not only recounted the development and transformation of the NPM but also left precious memories jointly with the people in Taiwan. “Beauty Speaks for Itself—Selected works from the National Palace Museum, Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs and Van Cleef & Arpels,” “The Beauty of the Floating World in Edo,” and “From Impressionism to Early Modernism: French Masterpieces from the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art” granted the citizens a glimpse at the chefs-d’oeuvre in the world. Starting from the Lunar Year celebration, exhibitions like “Celebrating the Seasons: Treasures from the National Palace Museum” and “Body on Display: Exploring the Mystery of the Human Body through Historical Images,” along with Diverse Go Players and Their Fascinating Tales: An Exhibition of Ancient Go Culture in the summer vacation that organized the very first large go competition at the NPM, were presented. Furthermore, the special exhibition “Harboring the Past: Maritime Southeast Asia as Crossroads of Trade, Art and Cultural Migration” and the event “Nanyang Month” showcased the beauty in the cultural diversity of the Southeast Asia.
According to Director Hsiao, the three NPM centennial exhibitions, i.e., “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” allow the public to rediscover the NPM’s achievements in collection, research, and conservation, along with the opportunity to appreciate the national treasures like the calligraphies and paintings by luminaries in art and culture, such as Wang Xizhi, Su Shi, Huang Gongwang, and Huang Tingjian all at once. Furthermore, three national treasures at the NPM, i.e., Travelers among Mountains and Streams by Fan Kuan, Early Spring by Guo Xi, and Whispering Pines in Myriad Valleys by Li Tang, debuted at the NPM Southern Branch, creating a splendid synergy between the Northern and the Southern Branches. In addition, for the excursion of the NPM treasures, “The Pearl of the Age of Exploration: NPM National Treasures Gather in Penghu” and “Beautiful Waters, Beautiful Treasures: Masterpieces of the National Palace Museum and the Lanyang Museum” are on view in Penghu and Yilan, respectively, embodying the social responsibility in cultural equity at the NPM of a century with its commitment to “the NPM for All.” Meanwhile, the achievements from the centennial celebration to the special exhibitions and overseas exhibitions testify the NPM’s actions towards “the NPM for the World.”
With a train of blockbuster exhibitions at both the Northern and the Southern Branches this year, Director Hsiao noted, the NPM has reached the total visits target of 3.5 million (2.4 million for the Northern Branch and 1.1 million for the Southern Branch) set earlier this year. Nevertheless, the targets were met only by a narrow margin, Director Hsiao admitted, more or less due to the impact from the promotional/marketing budget cuts. The Southern Branch even received its 10 millionth visitor in November since its opening a decade ago. The NPM has also been presented with awards this year, such as “Top 10 Tourism Spotlights” from the Tourism Administration, MOTC, and “Original Brand of the Year” in the 2025 Taiwan Design Best 100 by Shopping Design. Moving forward, the NPM will continue to scale up its brand value.
Regarding the progress of the New NPM Project, NPM Deputy Director Huang Yung-Tai stated that the New NPM Project reached a significant milestone in 2025. The new Administration Building and the Second Exhibition Hall have been completed and inaugurated. Further, the Second Exhibition Hall successfully hosted the opening of “French Masterpieces from the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art” in June. The public viewing process was just completed for the “Project of New Accessible Passage at the Zhishan Road Entrance” on December 15. It is currently in the bidding phase. As for the Main Building renovation, the “Study, Research, Restoration, and Reuse Project for the National Palace Museum as a Historic Building in Taipei” failed the cultural heritage review at the Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City, on June 30. The public viewing and voting process will be conducted subsequently. The project will be revised in accordance with the voting results before resubmission for review. As for the Project of the Second Exhibition Hall at the Southern Branch, the beam-raising ceremony was held on May 27 this year.
According to Deputy Director Huang, the “Project of New Accessible Passage at the Zhishan Road Entrance,” the “Wenhui Hall Renovation Project,” and the “Research Building Phase II Renovation Project: New Storage Space Construction” are expected to enter the construction phase in 2026. As soon as the “Study, Research, Restoration, and Reuse Project for the National Palace Museum as a Historic Building in Taipei” passed the review, it will proceed to the detailed design process. The Project of the Second Exhibition Hall at the Southern Branch is projected to achieve around 88% by the end of 2026. As for matters pertaining to the special interior decoration of exhibition hall and exhibition build-up, the bidding process is scheduled to commence in July 2026 per the sub-bid strategy.
Deputy Director Huang also introduced brilliant achievements in the centenary C&C products. This year, the NPM actively expanded its cross-disciplinary collaboration with 4 central government agencies, including “One Suitcase to Travel the World - Travel Souvenir Set” with the Presidential Office, “MIT Taiwan Golden Selection” with the Industrial Development Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs, “The 100th Anniversary of NPM – Commemorative Gold and Silver Bars” with the Bank of Taiwan and the Central Mint, and the “Farm’s Select” project together with 5 farms under the Veterans Affairs Council. In addition, the NPM partnered with 5 local governments, including Penghu County on “Marine Penghu,” Chiayi County on “CHIAYUM,” Taoyuan City on “Tao Tea Treasure Box,” Yilan County on “Beautiful Waters, Beautiful Treasures,” as well as Chiayi City on “Chiayi Select” and “320+1 Chiayi City Expo.” In addition, the NPM ventured into F&B sector for the first time, creating an immersive dining experience together with an F&B conglomerate (“Chinhuajiao” under Wowprime Corp.) In education and media, partnerships were formed with an English education institute (Joy English) and a culture and fashion magazine (BAZAAR ART, Inaugural Issue), marking a fresh attempt at cultural content diversification and extension. Up to 140 companies have joined the NPM co-branding initiative this year, with 1,128 centennial themed products in F&B, garments, hospitality, and transportation developed, marking a significant milestone for the crossover partnership and C&C development at the NPM.
As of the end of November, the NPM retail revenue has surpassed NT$390 million. A standout success was “The 100th Anniversary of NPM – Commemorative Gold and Silver Bars” that completely sold out across all channels within 24 hours upon launch, generating a total revenue of approximately NT$240 million. Also, “The 100th Anniversary of the National Palace Museum Commemorative Issue – Travelers Among Mountains and Streams Souvenir Sheet” in collaboration with Chunghwa Post sold like hot cakes, completely stripped from the Postal Stamps Mall website’s inventory by the very evening of its debut. Looking forward, the NPM will continue to expand its collaboration across sectors to disseminate its cultural energy.
Deputy Director Yu Pei-Chin offered a sneak peek of the exciting exhibition lineup for 2026. In January, the painting and calligraphy galleries will undergo a full rotation. “A Penchant for the Orchid Pavilion: How the "Preface to the Orchid Pavilion" Elicited the Infatuation of Emperors, Powerful Ministers, and Erudite Scholars” will explore the obsession of emperors, powerful ministers, and erudite scholars with this masterpiece and the resulting calligraphy collection and imitation. “In the Company of Animals” will examine the roles and emotions embodied by the animals under the brushes of painters across dynasties. Additionally, “Selected Rubbings from Engraved Models of Jin and Tang Dynasty Calligraphy” will feature Timely Clearing After Snowfall, the masterpiece by Wang Xizhi. As we are to celebrate the Lunar New Year in February, Jadeite Cabbage shall return to Gallery 302 at the Northern Branch from its acclaimed tour in the Czech Republic, while “A Jubilee of a Thousand Steeds: Selections of Equine Painting from the Year of the Horse Throughout History” will be on view at the Southern Branch. Hence, citizens are welcome to go on a spring outing at the NPM for the Year of the Horse. Furthermore, “The Evolving Landscape of Geopolitics: The World of East Asia from the 14th to the 19th Century,” the result exhibition of the research project by British Academy, will focus on the changes in the politics across the countries in East Asia during the early modern period, reflecting on the pivotal role of Taiwan as a hub in the East Asian Mediterranean.
From the Qingming Festival through the Dragon Boat Festival, the National Palace Museum will lead visitors on an odyssey to explore the profundity of spiritual legends and religious faith. In March, the special exhibition “The Return of Divine Beasts ” will trace the presence of deities and animals full of stories from the pre-Qin period to modern temples, and from ancient bronzes to domestic altars. In April, “Echoes of the Chu Ci: Cultural Imagery and the Dragon Boat,” centering around the NPM collection of paintings and ancient texts, will ferry visitors into the literary imagination and imagery realm born from Chu Ci and revisit the festive memories of the Dragon Boat Festival in life. “Emperor Kangxi's Tibetan Dragon Canon: A Symphony of Imperial Power, Faith, and Art in a Golden Age” shall offer a groundbreaking perspective. For the first time, the Tibetan Dragon Sutra will be presented alongside its full set of “Dragon-patterned Sutra Wrappers,” Delving into the interplay between imperiality and faith during the Qing dynasty’s golden age, the exhibition is to present a scholarly depth and a historical panorama never seen in the exhibitions afore.
In the summer of 2026, the NPM will launch an array of family-friendly exhibitions. To coincide with the global fever of the FIFA World Cup, the NPM will present “Depictions of Sports and Performance in Painting,” showcasing depictions of sports and performances by painters across dynasties that encompass subject-matters like Cuju (ancient football), mounted archery, dance, and various traditional games. In the meantime, the Second Exhibition Hall will host two special exhibitions of artifacts, i.e., “Ceramic Design” and “Close to Enlightenment,” coupled with “Immerse in the NPM Digital Exhibition 2026” featuring immersive environments, multi-user XR experiences, and newly commissioned digital artworks. At the Southern Branch, the intriguing “Exhibition on the History of Calligraphy of Wrong Characters” will be on view, exhibiting the various types and causes of “wrong characters” in ancient texts, while introducing the diverse methods or symbols used in correction, offering the public another perspective on the beauty of Chinese calligraphy.
In the second half of 2026, the Southern Branch will host the annual landmark event, the NPM Asian Art Festival. Themed with the mystical Himalayan region, “Asian Art Festival—the Himalayan Month” will be launched with a focus on the cultural diversity and artistic beauty of Himalayas. A stellar special exhibition shall be on display, tracing the development of Tibetan Buddhist art through a comprehensive art history narrative. Coupled with immersive wellness experiences, music and dance performances, and gallery exploration games, the festival shall guide visitors to experience the sublimity and humanity of the Roof of the World. Meanwhile, the Northern Branch will present “Splendor of New Acquisitions.” Centering on newly incorporated artifacts from the Department of Education, Jiangxi Province, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that were originally under the NPM’s custodianship, it aims to tell a distinct story of the “non-imperial collection” at the NPM. “Measuring Heaven and Earth: Mathematical Rare Books in the National Palace Museum Collection” cherry-picks rare books to trace the glorious loci of both Chinese and Western mathematics. In collaboration with the Taiwanese Society for the History and Pedagogy of Mathematics, the exhibition seeks to dispel public stereotypes about mathematics being boredom, offering an intellectual feast that balances scientific rationality with historical profundity.
Regarding the recent public concerns over security raised by the press, Director Hsiao stated that the National Palace Museum has comprehensively upgraded its security. In addition to metal detectors at gallery entry, all visitors carrying oversized bags are subject to manual security inspections. The frequency of police patrols will increase as well. Hence, the public can visit the NPM with peace of mind. As for the future international loan exhibitions following the special exhibition “From Impressionism to Early Modernism,” Director Hsiao noted that while he envisages to host a major international loan exhibition and an overseas exhibition every two years, the global environment remains unpredictable due to the recent high-profile thefts at renowned museums beyond Taiwan. Since negotiations for future international loans and overseas tours are currently underway, relevant details cannot be disclosed at the moment. The NPM will make official announcements upon any contract conclusion.
Media Liaison of the National Palace Museum
Emily Wang +886 2 2881 2021 #2901 Email:
emily@npm.gov.tw
Wan-Yu Yang +886 2 2881 2021 #2655 Email:
yuyang@npm.gov.tw