In a bid to improve cultural equity between the northern and southern region of Taiwan, the Taiwanese government approved the construction of the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum as the Asian Arts and Culture Museum. Located just 3 kilometres from Chiayi’s High-Speed Rail Station, it allows those in the southern parts of the country access to the collections of the National Palace Museum in the north.

Opened in 2015, the museum contains artificial wetlands, gardens, artificial lakes and other recreational spots. It also features collections from the original museum, mostly priceless artefacts from distant regions and lands. This includes Buddhist art from Asia’s oldest civilisations, Asian textiles, and other artefacts of Chinese heritage. You can also learn a fair bit about the city of Chiayi, the city where this museum lies. Its architectural style, a sleek and modern design, is also distinctively different from the palace-style museum in the north.