Construction of the southern branch of the National Palace Museum is proceeding faster than expected and is scheduled to be completed on Oct. 7.
Head of the Construction and Planning Agency Tseng Dar-jen said on Saturday that the branch will be completed in time for its opening at the end of the year.
The National Palace Museum in Taipei houses the world's largest collection of Chinese imperial art. The treasures were originally the property of the imperial court in Beijing.
The museum’s southern branch in Chiayi is being characterized as a museum of Asian art and culture. It will collect, research, preserve, and exhibit artifacts and relics from across Asia.
The exterior of the branch will be decorated with images of dragons, elephants, and horses made by 35,000 aluminum discs to represent the ancient Chinese, Indian, and Persian civilizations.