Director's Message

Message from the Director                                   Director Mail

Welcome to the website of the National Museum of Prehistory. It has been 12 years altogether from the establishment of NMP's Planning Bureau by the Ministry of Education in 1990, to the official opening of the museum after the completion of the first stage of construction on August 17, 2002. Thanks to the support given by the government and the hard work of the staff of the National Museum of Prehistory, all difficulties have been overcome, and this marvelous museum is able to stand in the midst of the green hills and clear waters of picturesque East Taiwan.

The National Museum of Prehistory consists of two parts, the Museum and Peinan Cultural Park. The Museum is situated beside Kangle Railway Station of the South Line Railway. It has an area of approximately 10 hectare and consists of an administrative hall, an exhibition hall and a Scenic Garden with Water Fountain. There are 14 permanent exhibition halls in the exhibition section, divided into three main themes, "The Natural History of Taiwan", "The Prehistory of Taiwan" and "The Indigenous Peoples of Taiwan", presenting the natural environment and the lifestyle of the prehistoric and the indigenous peoples of Taiwan. People can enjoy not only the stunning water fountain show and the blossoming flowers in the Scenic Garden, but also look over some of the most well-known "world's oldest plants", the ginkgo tree and metasequoia.

Peinan Cultural Park situated behind Taitung Train Station, with an area of approximately 18ha, at a corner of the Peinan Site is the first site park of its kind in Taiwan. With its verdant lawn, leafy bushes and pleasing flowers, the scenery is exquisite and refined. There is a small but graceful exhibition hall in the Visitor Center in the Park, displaying the sophistication of the Peinan Site and Peinan Culture. Archaeologists are excavating the site. The National Museum of Prehistory is not only a museum that best presents Taiwan's local features, but is also one with a scenic environment.

As the first national museum that was built with the aim of preservation and making known of the prehistoric and the indigenous culture, the planning and the opening of NMP denote a new milestone for our educational and cultural construction. Since I was appointed to work in NMP since March 2002, I have been aspiring after team working with the colleagues in NMP and with the enthusiastic volunteers, to make this museum into a top-ranking museum, so that it can bring the function of social education, academic research, cultural preservation and recreation into full play. We sincerely welcome visitors from all domains; moreover, we seek your advice, encouragement and support.

Thank you.