Unexpected European style museum

MUSEUM WITH CLASSICAL CONCEPT

Founder of the Chi Mei Group, Mr. Wen-Long Shi, was very fond of his childhood visits to a local museum that he was inspired to build a museum for everyone to enjoy. The museum was first established and housed in the administration building of the Chi Mei Corporation in 1992, relocated to the Tainan Metropolitan Park in 2014, and reopened in 2015. The museum is here so that people of all ages and social backgrounds can have easy access to Western culture and arts without having to travel abroad. The collection at CHIMEI Museum consists mainly of Western art, musical instruments, arms and armour, animal taxidermy and fossils, exhibiting approximately 4000 items, which is about one-third of the complete CHIMEI collection. Founder Shi expressed that, “Good works of art are not to be kept just for oneself to enjoy, but to be shared with the public;

“THE WORLD IS A BOOK AND THOSE WHO DO NOT TRAVEL READ ONLY A PAGE.” ~ SAINT AUGUSTINE

I think the museum owner really likes to see European museum so that the building design is totally the copy of some famous museums, eg the park and the fountain look like Versailles palace, the outlook of the museum like Roma’s temple, interior design looks like British national gallery. The bridge looks like Charles Bridge. However, it’s a good place to visit in Tainan.

The entrance fee is quite reasonable, only NTD 200 and plus 30 more, the visitor can go to see special exhibition too. If the tourist drives car, the Carpark is excellent, plenty parking space and only NTD 60 for whole day.

For the exhibits, the collection of painting, weapon and musical instruments are quite good. It’s advised to listen the imitated live musical performance of an orchestra, quite interesting!

It’s pity that the museum doesn’t allow taking picture. Don’t miss the souvenir shop! You must buy something beautiful!

“TRAVEL MAKES ONE MODEST, YOU SEE WHAT A TINY PLACE YOU OCCUPY IN THE WORLD.”

~ GUSTAVE FLAUBERT

This museum is very extensive with the concept of classical European palace buildings Rome and Greece. In the outside like being in the White House of Washington DC.

So many instagramable photo spots in every corners of the building both outside and inside. Starting from the museum entrance area, with the Apollo Fountain Plaza which is a replica of the Palace of Versailles in France, the bridge to the museum is lined with statues of Greek Gods.