Joël Lorquet explores the collections of the National Palace Museum in Taiwan

Guided Tour and Imperial Treasures

The museum, established in 1965 in the Shilin district on Zhishan Road, offers a tour equipped with individual wireless headphones. This system allows visitors to follow the explanations given by guides while maintaining quietness in the exhibition rooms. The site houses creations from millennia-old traditions, complemented by on-site dining services and souvenir shops for tourists.

Among the iconic works preserved are the Chinese cabbage carved from jade with insects sculpted into it, as well as a jasper piece crafted to resemble a pig's breast. The rooms also feature imperial ceramics, traditional landscape painting scrolls, and ritual metal pieces including the famous Mao Gong cauldron inscribed with historical texts.

Gastronomy and Environmental Reflections

At the Silks Palace restaurant, Joël Lorquet focused on the island's culinary expertise and the handling of agricultural produce. This gastronomic experience also prompted a comparison between the greenery of the mountain ranges surrounding Taipei and the environmental degradation in Haiti.

The tour included a visit to the underground passages of the Grand Hotel Taipei, a virtual flight simulating an aerial view of the territory, and concluded with a dinner gathering officials from the host country.