National Taiwan Museum

The National Taiwan Museum is the oldest museum in Taiwan, and its building is as much of an attraction as its collections. Its origins go back to a showroom set up in 1899, during Japanese colonial rule, and the present building was completed in 1913. It stands in what was then Taihoku New Park and is now 228 Peace Memorial Park, at the far end of Guanqian Road from Taipei Main Station, so it closes the view along the street with a classical facade. The museum took its present name in 1999.

The architecture is the first thing to notice. The Greek-style front leads into a domed central hall ringed by 32 Corinthian columns and lit by stained-glass skylights, a grand space that surprises many visitors who expect a modern Asian museum. The collections cover Taiwan's natural history and its people, organised around anthropology, earth sciences, zoology and botany, with specimens of the island's native animals and plants and cultural objects from the island's communities. Temporary exhibitions and events run throughout the year.

The museum also manages branch sites around the city. The Land Bank Exhibition Hall, in a former bank head office, is dedicated to natural history; another branch at Nanmen Park, a former camphor factory, focuses on industrial history, and a third, Railway Department Park, tells the story of Taiwan's railways. If you enjoy the main building, one of these makes an easy second stop.

The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 to 17:00, and is closed on Mondays. It is a manageable size, so an hour to an hour and a half is usually enough for the main building. It suits families, visitors interested in architecture and anyone wanting an introduction to Taiwan's landscape and wildlife before travelling further around the island. The setting in the park also makes it a good stop on a hot or rainy day, as you can pair it with a stroll under the trees when the weather allows.

Getting there is easy. Several MRT stations are within reach, including NTU Hospital and Taipei Main Station on the Tamsui-Xinyi Line, Ximen, Beimen and Xiaonanmen on the Songshan-Xindian Line, and Shandao Temple on the Bannan Line. The museum is a short walk from the busy streets around Taipei Main Station, and the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Ximending are close enough to combine in a half-day walking route.