Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum

Where its parent institution in Taipei centres on Chinese imperial treasures, the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum looks across the whole of Asia. Its galleries draw on the national collection to place Chinese art alongside works from India, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia and the Islamic world, exploring themes such as Buddhist art, tea culture, textiles and ceramics.

The building, designed by Taiwanese architect Kris Yao, is part of the experience. Its curving volumes are inspired by brushstrokes in Chinese calligraphy and ink painting. It sits in a broad landscaped park with a lake in Taibao, Chiayi County, and visitors approach it across a long bridge. Signs often show the Chinese name 國立故宮博物院南部院區.

The branch opened in 2015 to bring the national collection closer to southern Taiwan, and it now draws nearly a million visitors a year. It suits those interested in how art and ideas moved between Asian cultures, and the park makes it easy to combine the galleries with time outdoors.