故宫票价北涨南降 对外籍观光客影响较大

The Palace Museum, home to countless treasures of Chinese culture, will officially implement new ticket pricing measures starting January 1, 2018 (the 107th year of the Republic of China). In addition to the general principle of higher prices in the north and lower prices in the south, to uphold children’s cultural equity, all visitors under 18 years of age, regardless of nationality, can enter for free. Additionally, according to Article 25 of the Senior Citizens Welfare Act, the discounted admission policy for senior citizens aged 65 and above who are Republic of China nationals is as follows: free admission on weekdays and half-price admission (NT$75) on weekends and holidays. As January 1 is a day of free admission for the entire museum, the new ticket pricing measures will officially take effect on January 2, 2018.

According to information from the Palace Museum’s official website, visitor numbers at the Northern Branch from January to July this year decreased by nearly 20% compared to the same period last year, while the Southern Branch saw an even steeper decline of 32%. To attract more visitors to the Southern Branch, the basic principle of raising prices in the north and lowering them in the south remains unchanged. For the standard admission tickets (for general visitors), the Northern Branch will increase the current NT$250 to NT$350, while the Southern Branch will reduce the current NT$250 to NT$150. However, at the Northern Branch, nationals holding a national ID card, new residents with a National Health Insurance card, and international students with an International Student ID card can all enjoy the discounted admission price of NT$150.

In other words, general visitors who have obtained a Taiwanese national

This ticket price adjustment is in accordance with regulations set by the financial authorities, which require the National Palace Museum Taipei to review its ticket pricing scheme every three years. The last adjustment to the admission fee was made in July 2014, and as three years have now passed, a new pricing scheme needs to be formulated.