The director of Taipei’s National Palace Museum, Lin Jeng-yi, has told RTI that there will be changes to the original plan for expanding the museum.
Lin said the original plan was to accommodate a growing number of visitors and to provide a better environment and more spacious exhibition areas. An additional southern branch of the museum opened in Chiayi County late last year.
However, Lin said the plan is now being revised for a number of reasons. One is that local residents in the area were complaining about the move possibly affecting their living quality. Another reason is that the Shilin District of Taipei, where the museum is located, will be conducting an urban renewal project which would overlap with the expansion plan. Lastly the new government has plans for the museum to develop to meet international standards.
Lin said a new reconstruction scheme will be drawn up without abandoning the original plan. He said the scope of reconstruction will be downsized by a considerable amount. Lin expects a new blueprint to be drawn up in the next three months and presented to the Cabinet for discussion.
The National Palace Museum houses over 600,000 Qing Dynasty artifacts and artworks from the former imperial palace in Beijing. The art treasures were brought to Taiwan by the retreating Nationalist government during China’s civil war.