720-degree panoramic views to admire the Chimei Museum – a new way to visit

By MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

Tainan’s classically exotic Chimei Museum, with its priceless collections and magnificent architecture, allows visitors to experience the beauty of Western art and culture without leaving the country; now, you don’t even need to leave your home to visit the museum anytime, anywhere online. To further promote the spirit of resource sharing, the Chimei Museum has launched a new 360-degree panoramic service. Now, visitors can explore the museum online, including areas that are usually off-limits to the public.

Although the museum has attracted large numbers of visitors since its opening, many people still miss the opportunity to see the artworks for various reasons. To enhance accessibility and uphold the spirit of sharing, the museum specially invitedGooglea street view authorized team to conductGooglepanoramic photography both inside and outside the museum, opening up all permanent exhibition halls. The public only needs to visit the official Chimei Museum website, click on the panorama link on the visit information page, or go toGooglethe map webpage to find the Chimei Museum, and they can then720enjoy 360-degree browsing to explore every corner of the museum, both inside and out. If users download the “Street View” appAPPon their mobile phones and wearCardboard VRVR glasses, they can enjoy an immersive art journey as if walking through the museum in person.

To allow more people to see Chimei’s collections, the museum has continuously explored ways to provide easier and more accessible access. This new 360-degree panoramic service breaks away from the traditional in-person visiting model. Through the widespread availability of the internet, the public can now explore the museum online — no need to go abroad or even leave home. However, the museum also reminds visitors that making panoramic images available does not mean indoor photography is allowed; photography remains prohibited inside the museum.

The Chimei Museum’s panoramic shooting covers everything from the outdoor Museum Boulevard and Apollo Fountain to the permanent exhibition halls. Even usually inaccessible areas such as the Chimei Hall and the rooftop terrace are fully visible. However, a small number of works are blurred due to ongoing copyright protection, and special exhibitions, which change periodically, are not included in the shooting plan. In terms of layout, considering that visitors may not be familiar with the museum’s layout and may want to gather information beforehand, emphasis was placed on showcasing service areas, including the information desk, ticket counter, nursing room, restrooms, gift shop, and restaurant, all of which are clearly identifiable. Artwork presentation is also a key focus of the shoot. The museum specially selected important sculptures such as "Love of the Angels," "Theseus Slaying the Centaur," "The Thinker," "The Kiss," and "The Abandoned" for individual 360-degree photography. Visitors can not only follow the route but also take a closer look when encountering these pieces.

The current 360-degree panoramic shooting project of the Chimei Museum has completed its basic version, with an advanced version currently in development. This includes building a cloud-based collection, providing rich descriptions of exhibition halls and items, creating a cloud-based virtual reality guided tour service, adding aerial footage, and incorporating 360-degree dynamic videos that take viewers into the orchestra exhibition area. The advanced content is expected to be completed in the second half of the year, at which point the panoramic service will become even more comprehensive and enriched.