Chimei Museum, founded in 1992 by Mr. Wen-Long Shi, is a renowned private museum with the richest collection in Taiwan. The founder’s early childhood museum visits served as seeds that later blossomed into his profound appreciation for art and culture. He has a dream of building a museum that is for everyone to enjoy and appreciate, and a place for people to cultivate their minds and souls.
The works of art in Chimei Museum’s permanent exhibition are coming from both Chi Mei Culture Foundation and Mr. Shi’s family private collections; the entire collection totaled more than ten thousand items.
Chimei Museum’s distinctive Collections:
The largest violin collection in the world, including historical world famous luthier families and schools.
The most complete collection of Western Fine Arts and Sculptures in Asia, which serves as an Asian window to the Western world of art.
The largest animal taxidermy collection in Asia, and it displays natural history in life-like storytelling scenes.
The most complete collection of antique Arms and Armour in Asia that presents war and weaponry history as the history of humankind.
Chimei Museum is a museum that is easy for anyone from 3 year-old to 90 year-old to understand and appreciate the world of Art and Music, it is an aesthetic hall for anyone without boundary.
Chi Mei Culture Foundation is responsible for collecting, preserving, and educating through the museum exhibitions and events. Mr. Shi sets the goal for the museum, “These works of art are world culture heritage and treasures, as well as the assets of Taiwanese people; we are only the temporary safe-keepers, there are many more generations to pass them on.”
Chimei Museum is the platform for Chimei Museum Foundation to promote exhibition and educational activities. Mr. Shi sets the heart for the Chimei Museum Foundation, “Good works of art should be shared with the public, not for oneself; and works of art should be collected for everyone to appreciate, and not for personal enjoyment.”
In 2014, Chimei Museum Relocated to Tainan Metropolitan Park, and reopened to the public in January 2015. The Chimei Museum building was funded and constructed by the Chi Mei Corporation, and donated to the local Tainan City Government by the founder Mr. Wen-Long Shi. Chimei Museum foundation then contracted to operate the building as a museum on a 50-year ROT (Renovate-Operate-Transfer) government project, which enables the foundation to operate within the museum building with its collection for the coming 50 years. Chimei Museum will retain founder’s founding essence to operate the museum, renaissance the culture of art, and let the world see Taiwan.
