Today we visited the National Palace Museum, had lunch at Taipei Central Station, visited the Jade Market, had dinner with some U of M alumnas, and went shopping at the night market where we were treated to shaved ice. I had Iced Mango and it was delicious!
National Palace Museum
Where are Ed and Sean?
National Palace Museum:
The museum includes a collection of Chinese artifacts and artwork dating back 8,000 years. Some of the famous pieces include the "Jadeite Cabbage With Insects" and the "Meat-shaped Stone". I don't remember the complete story of the Jadeite Cabbage but I believe it was a dowry gift. The white in the Bok-choy cabbage symbolizes the purity of the bride and the insects that are on the leaves (a katydid and locust) represent a blessing for many children.
We had an English speaking tour guide who went into great detail at each exhibit. It was very crowded so I wondered off occasionally to explore on my own. My favorite exhibit was the Curio Boxes. During the Qing Dynasty, it was very expensive and took a long time to ship the emperors' various pieces of jade, porcelain, and artwork so he instructed craftsmen to create miniature versions of these pieces and they were placed in curio boxes so they could be appreciated at any time. The curio boxes not only housed these miniature treasures but were themselves quite a treasure. They were designed to hold specific objects in specific compartments employing the use of drawers, sub levels, and sometimes secret compartments. The boxes were designed with great ingenuity to make use of every possible space. Most curio boxes required a special technique to open such as pulling or pushing a particular part or fitting certain pieces together so it was like a puzzle that needed to be solved in order to enjoy the treasure.
Shopping at the Jade Market:
Haggle the price by saying: tai gui le (too expensive).
Jade Market
Lunch - I think it was shrimp and squid
Dinner with U of M Alumnas
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