Cultural Journey: From the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum to Taipei's Twin Cities Art Feast.
This trip, I chose to start from Taipei and head to the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum in Chiayi to experience the artistic and cultural atmosphere of southern Taiwan. Early in the morning, I took the high-speed rail southward, and after about an hour and a half, I arrived in Chiayi, then transferred to a shuttle bus directly to the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum. The museum, themed as the 'Asian Art and Culture Museum,' features modern architecture and water landscape design, resembling an art palace floating on a lake. I strolled through the main exhibition hall, admiring precious artifacts from China, Japan, Korea, India, and other Asian regions.
The exhibitions of silk screens, ceramics, and Buddhist artworks gave me a profound sense of the diversity and brilliance of Asian civilizations. Among them, the most captivating was a Tang Dynasty ceramic piece, with a glaze as warm as jade, seemingly flowing with the traces of time.
I also participated in a guided tour, where the detailed explanations by the guide made the stories behind the artifacts more vivid. After leaving the exhibition hall, I walked to the lakeside garden outside, which has vast green spaces and water areas, perfect for relaxation and photography. At noon, I enjoyed a simple meal with local specialties at the museum's restaurant, such as Chiayi turkey rice and Taiwanese tea snacks, which were both delicious and full of local flavor. In the afternoon, after a short rest, I headed to the Alishan Forest Recreation Area, strolling through the forest to feel the fresh air and tranquil atmosphere of nature. By evening, I returned to Chiayi city to check into a hotel, ending a fulfilling day.