The woman wearing a striped shirt stares at an ornamental horse at the National Palace Museum

Woman watching pottery figurine — Woman staring at an ornate horse

Chinese civilization is often listed alongside Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus Valley as one of the four great ancient civilizations. With a history said to span over five thousand years, China has seen countless dynasties rise and fall, each one contributing to a growing treasury of knowledge, art, and craftsmanship. When you think about it, the fact that even a fraction of these vast treasures is on display to the general public is an extraordinary luxury. And the National Palace Museum in Taipei is exactly the kind of place where that “extraordinary luxury” becomes real.

As I wandered through the museum, I passed rows of exquisite objects—items that, under normal circumstances, someone like me would never have a reason to see up close. These were once likely part of the everyday world of emperors. The gleam of metalwork, the glaze of porcelain, the intricate carvings—each piece left me quietly stunned. I couldn’t begin to judge their historical or artistic value, but that didn’t matter. The beauty of it all spoke for itself.

I paused in front of a glass case containing a white porcelain figurine shaped like a horse. From where I stood, the round rump of the horse was facing me—an unexpectedly charming and almost comical view. I smiled. On the other side of the case, a woman stood, completely absorbed. I imagined she was looking into the horse’s lively face. Same object, entirely different impressions—just depending on where you stand. That’s part of the joy here: even within a silent museum, the experience is anything but static.

National Palace Museum on Google Map

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