Tainan City Rende District – Chimei Museum

Chi Mei Museum, located in Rende District, Tainan City, Taiwan, was founded by Xu Wenlong, the founder of Chi Mei Industrial. It is the private museum and art gallery with the richest collection in Taiwan. The museum mainly collects Western art, and exhibits four major areas: art, musical instruments, weapons and natural history. In the field of musical instruments, it has the largest collection of violins in the world, including masterpieces by major violin makers around the world. In terms of art, it houses the most complete collection of Western paintings and sculptures in Taiwan, with the goal of constructing a basic historical context of Western art. In the field of weapons, the most complete collection of precious ancient weapons from various countries in Asia is displayed, presenting the history and technological evolution through war weapons. In the field of natural history, it has the largest collection of animal specimens in Asia, covering mammals and birds from five continents.

The old Chi Mei Museum was officially opened in 1992, using the 5th to 8th floors of the Chi Mei Industrial Building for free visits by the public. Individuals or groups can make reservations in advance. The main building of Chi Mei Industrial Corporation has been closed since May 2013, and its exhibits have been gradually moved to the new building in Tainan Metropolitan Park. The construction project started in December 2008, costing approximately NT$1.85 billion to build. It covers an area of ​​9.5 hectares and was donated to the Tainan City Government on May 17, 2012, and opened on January 1, 2015.
Image source: Chimei Museum