Step into a time tunnel – The Yuanshan Heritage Museum, home to 64 years of treasured artifacts, officially opens

▲The Yuanshan Heritage Museum has been established on the second floor of the Qilin Hall. (Photo / Provided by Grand Hotel Taipei)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The “Yuanshan Heritage Museum,” which showcases hotel memorabilia, officially opened on the morning of the 29th. Starting now, it will be open to guests for free every Tuesday to Sunday (closed on Mondays) from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Li Jianrong, Chairman of the Grand Hotel Taipei, stated that this over 60-year-old building holds more than half a century of historical records, including the growth trajectory of Taiwan’s politics and economy, as well as countless touching stories from guests.

During the 60th-anniversary celebration of the Grand Hotel Taipei in 2012 (the 101st year of the Republic of China), an exhibition of images and artifacts was held. To provide a permanent display space for the hotel’s heritage, the “Yuanshan Heritage Museum” has been specially set up on the second floor of the Qilin Hall, which once hosted heads of state from around the world. It will centrally exhibit archival photos of major historical events and items left behind by key figures.

The exhibits in the Yuanshan Heritage Museum include not only photos spanning over 60 years but also the exclusive tools (hair dryer, electric clippers, hair shears, scissors, combs) used by Qiu Yanzhong, a veteran barber at Yuanshan, who once styled the hair of Chiang Ching-kuo and Kong Lingwei. There are also the iconic dragon-phoenix rocking chairs used by Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling, a specially designed “heavy-duty” chair for King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV of Tonga, banquet menus and tableware from state dinners hosted by former presidents, and telephones used in early guest rooms.

▲The Yuanshan Heritage Museum. (Photo / Provided by Grand Hotel Taipei)