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National Palace Museum: Taipei

What is the most famous jade artwork in China? The answers vary. But the most popular is probably “The Cabbage,” which is an artwork carved from a single piece of white-green jade. Part of the dowry of an imperial concubine of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), "The Cabbage” had been kept in her living room in the palace. Today you can still visit her rooms in the Palace Museum in Beijing. "The Cabbage,” however, was moved to Taipei, Taiwan, some 60 years ago. It is now considered one of the most valuable artworks in the National Palace Museum of Taipei.

There are two National Palace Museums in China. The one in Beijing is home of the emperors. It is one of the greatest ancient architectural complexes in the world. The other, in Taipei, is considered one of the top five museums of the world (along with the Louvre in Paris, the British Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg). Why are there the twin peaks that share the glory of imperial treasures in China? People may wonder.

A new book, National Palace Museum: Taipei tells us why thousands of precious artworks were moved out of the Palace in Beijing. During the World War Two, of necessity, these imperial treasures were moved around China to escape the Japanese invaders. They were eventually transferred to Taipei during the civil war that followed.

The current museum in Taipei was built in 1965 to house more than 600,000 items transferred from the palace in Beijing. The museum collection includes classic paintings, calligraphy, books, jade artworks and bronze castings. Which is the most revered item? Academics and visitors differ in their responses, according to the book. The most valuable item to scholars is “San Plate” (San Shi Pan), a bronze casting which used to belong to the San family about 3,000 years ago. There are 357 scripts on the plate to document a business deal between two families, which has great historical value.

National Palace Museum: Taipei（《台北故宫》）

By Zhou Bing（周兵）

Gold Wall Press (金城出版社) February 2009, 38 yuan