Chi Mei Museum > Tainan City > Tourism Administration, Republic of China (Taiwan)

Chi Mei Museum is funded by Chi Mei Corp., a petrochemical company. Chairman Hsu Wen Lung set up Ching Mei Culture Foundation in 1977 and decided to improve public culture. Thus, he established the museum for art exhibition as well as art education. Currently, most paintings in the museum are classical and impressionist. The museum also loans its violins to excellent musicians. Established in 1990, the museum is open to the public and has several exhibition areas, including art, natural history, historic weapons, musical instruments, ancient objects and industrial techniques.

The museum has a collection of European paintings in the 18th and 19th century, presenting the development of western art. The historic weapon exhibition presents weapons from prehistoric time, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age to modern times. The two canons in front of the museum were designed and built in 1689. They were taken away by foreigners in the 19th century until Chi Mei Culture Foundation purchased them in 1994. The museum also collects valuable violins, including 5 Antonio Stradivaris, 2 Guarneri del Gesu, Nicolo Amati, Jacob Stainer, Amati, Rogeri, Joseph Guarneri Filius Andrea, Seraphin, Gagliano and Guadagnini.