Chimei Museum Museum

Address: No. 66, Section 2, Wenhua Road, Rende District, Tainan City 717, Taiwan

Website: https://www.chimeimuseum.org/

Hours: Tue-Sun 9:30am-5:30pm, closed Mondays (museum may extend hours on special event days)

Admission: NT$200-400 for adult admission (varies by exhibit); special exhibitions and concerts may cost extra

Chimei Museum is a private museum in Tainan, Taiwan, founded by industrialist Shi Wen-long and opened in the early 1990s. It is known for an extensive private collection assembled across Western art, musical instruments, arms and natural history.

Exhibition highlights include galleries of Western paintings and sculpture, a large arms and armour collection, and a well-known collection of stringed instruments that includes multiple high-quality violins. The museum building is designed with classical museum circulation and gallery spaces to display a broad range of permanent collections and temporary exhibitions.

The museum was established by its founder to house and display a privately assembled collection and has grown into a major cultural destination in Tainan, attracting local and international visitors for both its displays and periodic performances.

The Chimei Museum is located in Tainan City on Taiwan’s southwest coast and is accessible from central Tainan by road and public transit.

• Founding: Founded and largely assembled by a private industrialist; the institution opened to the public in the early 1990s and is a major cultural attraction in Tainan.
• Collections: Contains an internationally-recognised collection of classical Western instruments and fine art, making it one of southern Taiwan’s most-visited museums.

What to See#

• Western Art Gallery: A large collection of Western oil paintings and European sculpture assembled by the museum’s founder, displayed in galleries designed in a neoclassical layout.
• Arms and Armour: An exhibition grouping of historical arms and armour that spans European and Asian pieces, displayed as a major part of the museum’s collection.
• Musical Instruments: Houses a notable collection of stringed instruments, including multiple high-quality violins, and stages regular performances and demonstrations.
• Natural History: Displays specimens and exhibits from natural history collections alongside explanatory displays for families and school groups.

From central Tainan, take a local bus (multiple routes) or a short taxi ride to Rende District. The museum is also accessible by scooter; limited parking is available on site. Check the museum website for current exhibition schedules and ticketing.

• Allow at least two hours to see the core collections: Western paintings, arms and armor, and the musical instrument gallery.
• Audio guides are available in multiple languages and worth the modest extra fee for context on the Stradivarius and arms collections.
• Plan for a weekday visit if possible-weekends are busy with family groups and school tours.