National Palace Museum opens Qing relations exhibition on 21 November
Published on 11/07/2026 at 14:21 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSNew exhibition and museum history
- At Taipei’s Northern Branch, the National Palace Museum schedules By Land and By Sea for 21 November 2026.
- Gallery N103 will present the Qing China foreign relations exhibition from 21 November 2026 to 21 February 2027.
- The Taipei museum building was officially inaugurated in 1965 after construction at Waishuangxi was completed that year.
- Taipei City and Taiwan identify the museum’s Northern Branch at No. 221, Zhishan Road, Shilin District.
The National Palace Museum in Taipei opens By Land and By Sea: Qing China’s Foreign Relations on 21 November 2026. The exhibition runs at the Northern Branch in Taiwan until 21 February 2027.
Qing foreign relations exhibition starts on 21 November
The museum’s official exhibition list places By Land and By Sea: Qing China’s Foreign Relations in Gallery N103 of Exhibition Hall I. It gives the exhibition period as 21 November 2026 to 21 February 2027.
The exhibition concerns archival documents and is part of the Northern Branch programme. Its title links the material to relations between Qing China and foreign powers, while the gallery listing gives visitors a precise venue within the main museum building. The official exhibition listing records both the dates and the Northern Branch location.
A specialist Taipei exhibition listing describes diplomatic papers from Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs alongside documents from the museum collection. It also says that the exhibition follows changing official approaches to foreign affairs through three sections. The Taipei exhibition preview identifies the opening date as 21 November 2026.
How the new exhibition fits the Taipei museum
The National Palace Museum’s Northern Branch stands in Waishuangxi, in Shilin District on the northern side of Taipei. Its main building was completed in August 1965 and officially inaugurated on 12 November that year.
The palace-style building has four floors, green tiled roofs and yellow roof ridges. The first three floors of the Exhibition Hall are used for artefact displays, while the fourth floor contains the Sanxitang Teahouse.
The museum was officially founded in 1925, before its collections were moved to Taiwan. The Taipei building therefore gives the November exhibition a direct connection to the institution’s later history: the new venue opened to the public in November 1965, while the Qing foreign relations material arrives in Gallery N103 in November 2026.
Documents, galleries and the museum’s wider programme
The exhibition will sit among a changing programme of painting, calligraphy, rare books and conservation displays. The official calendar lists current exhibitions in galleries N202, N204, N206, N208, N210 and N212, as well as the new display in N103.
This arrangement places archival documents beside the museum’s broader presentation of Chinese art and historical material. It also means that the November programme includes both an exhibition opening and displays already running elsewhere in Exhibition Hall I.
Visiting National Palace Museum: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- By Land and By Sea: Qing China’s Foreign Relations begins on 21 November 2026 in Gallery N103, Exhibition Hall I, at the Northern Branch.
- The exhibition remains scheduled at the Taipei museum until 21 February 2027; the official listing does not describe a separate entrance or temporary closure for it.
- The Northern Branch is at No. 221, Section 2, Zhishan Road, Shilin District, Taipei City 111001, Taiwan.
- Taiwan’s official language is Mandarin Chinese and its currency is the New Taiwan dollar.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about National Palace Museum
When does By Land and By Sea take place at National Palace Museum?
It is scheduled from 21 November 2026 to 21 February 2027 in Gallery N103 of Exhibition Hall I at the Northern Branch.
What is National Palace Museum?
It is a museum in Taipei whose institution was officially founded in 1925 and whose Northern Branch building opened to the public in 1965.
Where is National Palace Museum and how do you get there?
The Northern Branch is at No. 221, Section 2, Zhishan Road, Shilin District, Taipei City 111001, Taiwan.
