Today I went to the Kuo Yuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastries, National Palace Museum (NPM) and The Chiang Kai Shek Shilin Residence, all situated in Shilin. The cake museum was not planned, I just saw it on the map outside the MRT station so I just had to go (you know I love baking). However, it was a true disappointment. I expected an exhibition of how pastries are made and the history, but that place just sold some cakes in fancy packages. I bought a cake, with white bean filling just for the sake of it.
After meeting the creepiest man ever on the way back from the pastry place (he wanted to give me his number written on a pink paper), I took the bus to the National Museum. It's said that the NPM is one of the five best ones in the world and the collection of Chinese culture related objects from different dynasties is huge. There were (documents) treats from the Cold war, calligraphy from thousands of year before, porcelain, carved jade, bodisattivas (statue of Buddha) and much more. I wished I knew more about the history of China to be able to fully appreciate the items. I became amazed anyway by the crafts. How was it possible to carve out figures of jade which is a really hard mineral? Or to produce colourful porcelain, write calligraphy on Sichuan silk and make bronze statues? It's not only about hand craft and creativity but also the limitations of instruments.
Photography is forbidden inside so I don't have any pics of the items... Btw, it was sunny and about 32 degrees. I wonder if it's normal weather for November.
The more I think the more I get overwhelmed of the collection. For example, the long roll of painting- for thousands of years ago there was actually one person that held a brush and thought "Hmmm, what should I paint?" and then created a piece that now lays on the museum for people all over the world to behold. Exact that very object has come from somebody's mind and hands, what did this person want to tell? Some of the objects were presented as "anomynous" and this makes it even more mysterious. I wonder what the artists would feel about their pieces are a part of history? I spent hours there listening on the audio guide and tried to look at the things. It was a mistake though to go there on a Saturday as there were crowds of tourists with guides that spoke through mic and people standing in the way.
I was quite tired after the visit at the museum but I went a quick round to the Shilin Residence (that place is giant) on the way back. I saw a little bit of the garden before the sun went down.
Outside the Official Building where Chiang Kai Shek used to live.
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