The National Palace Museum has the privilege to be the home of what is considered the world's largest and finest collection of Chinese art. Most of the items were 'liberated' from the mainland during the Kuomintang's retreat after the Chinese Civil War. While there are far too many objects to display all at once, you will be able to see stunning examples of painting, calligraphy, ceramic, jade, and statues. These pieces date back thousands of years, including some that go back 8,000 years to prehistoric times. There is a substantial collection of Buddhist artifacts from the Forbidden City, along with other pieces that belonged to China's ancient emperors.

The museum was used by the KMT in the 60s and 70s to back-up its claim that the Republic of China was the only legitimate government of China because it was the sole preserver of Chinese culture and emphasized Chinese nationalism. The two countries have since come to an agreement that there is a shared cultural heritage. The museum rotates its displays every three months, with 60,000 pieces being viewed per year. To view the entire collection would take nearly 12 years.