By the MOOK Scenic Spots Travel & Lifestyle Network Editorial Team

The much-anticipated Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum has been officially scheduled to open for a trial run on December 28, 2015. To invite everyone to visit, free admission will be offered through reservation during the first three months.

Located in Taibao City, Chiayi County, Taiwan, the Southern Branch is a major cultural construction project for southern Taiwan and one of the nation’s “Love Taiwan” construction initiatives. It complements the Taipei Branch to form a “dual-star” cultural tourism highlight across the north and south. Upon completion, the main museum building of the Southern Branch will reflect its positioning as an “international museum of Asian art and culture,” incorporating design elements such as the dragon, elephant, and horse to symbolize the interaction, exchange, and unique vitality of three major civilizations in Asia—Chinese, Indian, and Persian—throughout history. In fulfillment of global environmental responsibility, the overall architectural planning will demonstrate “green essence” through green construction methods, materials, design, and energy use.12The overall architectural planning reflects “green essence” through green construction methods, materials, design, and energy use. (Image source / Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum)

Additionally, the museum’s landscape park combines ecological experience and learning, taking into account contemporary orchid biotechnology agriculture, agrarian culture, and lifestyle. It features four major themed gardens: Taiwan, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Orchids. The Southern Branch is not only an international “Asian Art and Culture Museum,” but also a key hub for cultural education, creative industries, and tourism in southern Taiwan. With carefully curated exhibitions and creative cultural planning, both the Northern and Southern branches are expected to comprehensively boost Taiwan’s, especially Yunlin–Chiayi–Tainan region’s, distinctive cultural tourism and creative industry momentum, realizing the vision of “balancing north and south, and equalizing artistic wealth.”