In 1933 a perilous journey began for some 200,000 priceless objects, the core of the present museum. They were spirited away in the dead of night because of the growing threat of Japanese expansionism and war. Their odyssey would finally end in Taipei, some 32 years and thousands of miles later. The journey, which is a story in itself, took the collection through such cities as Shanghai, Nanking, Kweiyang, Paochi in Shensi province, Chengtu in Szechwan province, and Omei. Now, to celebrate not only its history but its endurance, the museum is offering an outstanding number of special exhibitions and rare treasures for those who wish to join the celebration.
Age is a matter of perspective, and each birthday is a call for celebration.
But 70 is a good round number and is perhaps auspicious for such a sturdy collection. Showing since January are exhibits of circular jades and Tibetan Buddhist ceremonial objects. The circular jades date from the Neolithic age to the Han dynasty, roughly covering the period of 5000 B.C. to A.D. 220. Tibetan Buddhist ceremonial objects reflect the long history of the relationship between the Tibetan religious community and the Ching imperial court when ornate, lavish gifts were exchanged and the Ching imperial family built many Buddhist temples in Peking and at Jehol, the summer capital. For those interested in calligraphy and painting, two outstanding exhibits are available in the latter part of 1995.