TAIPEI – Taiwan’s National Palace Museum, renowned for its vast collection of imperial Chinese art and artifacts, has announced that it will not be holding any joint events with China to mark its 100th anniversary. The decision is attributed to ongoing military threats from Beijing, according to the museum’s director.
The National Palace Museum in Taiwan was re-established in 1965 after the Republic of China government relocated to the island in 1949 following the Chinese Civil War. They brought with them a significant portion of the imperial collection. A similarly named Palace Museum also exists in Beijing.
Speaking to the press in Taipei, Director Hsiao Tsung-huang emphasized that cooperation with the Beijing museum requires mutual willingness, which is currently lacking.
“Whether it’s fighter jets, navy or civilian ships going up and down the Taiwan Strait, there is no opportunity like there was before for mutual friendliness or cooperation,” Hsiao stated, referencing China’s frequent military activities in the vicinity of Taiwan.
“We’d be happy to see it, but at the moment the other side hasn’t taken the initiative to talk, and we even more cannot take the initiative to talk to them,” Hsiao added.
The Palace Museum in Beijing has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Instead of collaborations with China, the National Palace Museum in Taipei will be sending parts of its collection to exhibitions in Prague and Paris this year. The Jadeite Cabbage, a Qing dynasty artifact and one of the museum’s most prized possessions, will be displayed at the National Museum in the Czech Republic.
Additionally, the museum will host an exhibition of French Impressionist and Modernist art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York next month.
The National Palace Museum’s collection comprises over 690,000 items, with over 80% originating from the Qing dynasty.
A second branch of the museum opened in Chiayi County in 2015 and is currently being expanded. This branch will showcase more of the museum’s artifacts and will have a special focus on “national treasures.”
