I visited Wulai the day before coming here, and I loved learning about the fascinating culture and history of the indigenous people of Taiwan. Firstly, I would highly recommend visiting the Shung Ye Museum over the Palace Museum (just down the road). The building is beautiful, and the collection inside is outstanding. There is even a 3D cinema, and even thought the movie wasn’t in English it was pretty easy to follow. The artefacts on show are exceptional, and I found the staff totally committed to their work. When I visited, I was the only person inside the museum. This was a special experience, and my time there was one of the most memorable from my trip to Taipei.

Taiwan’s indigenous people is one of the things that makes it unique. The best thing, of course, is to go to a village and experience some local festivity. But for the wider context it’s well worth coming here for an overview of the 16 recognised tribes, where they are settled and their particular specialities. There is pottery, carving, costumes and more. One thing the museum should think of doing is an accessible book, with photos on Taiwan’s indigenous groups.

This museum is 5 min away from National museum across the street. It’s worth a visit to learn about the indigenous in Taiwan. The exhibition and explanation are very basic. I learned from the video which had Japanese that Taiwan is close to Philippines so no wonder there are people different from Chinese. Not only appearance but also the religion, behavior and habits. I enjoyed making music based on native peoples sense. It was really a good introduction for us who visited Taroko where indigenous people and culture still remain. This museum symbolizes that Taiwanese are enthusiastic of preserving indigenous peoples and their cultures and we appreciate it so much.

Good introduction to life on Taiwan before the Han Chinese showed up. Don’t miss the 2 videos. — the 3-D one in the theatre and the one on the video monitor. Get the combo ticket for the National Palace Museum down the street and save a few bucks.

Who would have thought that there were native peoples - unique to the island of Taiwan (Formosa) - pre-dating the arrival of Chinese and Japanese - and who survive to this very day, complete with key aspects of their original culture intact and flourishing! The Shung Ye Museum is a must for visitors to Taiwan who want a deeper understanding of the cultural heritage of the island. This not a grand-scale, monumental museum like it's neighbour (The Palace Museum). It was nearly deserted on the day I visited, whereas the Palace Museum was a crush of mainland Chinese and other tourists. All the same, it has just enough information, excellent objects showing the village life, house construction, ceremonies and costumes of a number of different aboriginal tribes. These aboriginal peoples are Austronesian. They share the same DNA and linguistic roots as New Zealand's Māori and most of our polynesian pacific neighbours, so it's fascinating to see how differently the built cultures have evolved. As well as the permanent ethnographic exhibition, there was a modern graphic-art exhibition - works by local indigenous artists that translate traditional patterns into digital files and express them in graphic works... simply brilliant, and a delight to know that the indigenous cultures are alive and kicking in modern-day Taiwan. The gift shop has a desirable collection of souvenirs as well. For all the clamour and grandeur of the famous Palace Museum across the road - I prefer this small-but-passionate visitor experience. If you're in Taipei, add it to the list of 'must-dos'.

It wasn't just the lack of crowds and lines, screaming babies and shoving senior ladies encountered at the Palace Museum across the road that made this enjoyable. The story of the aboriginal Taiwanese is largely unknown and for many tourists in-interesting. But this museum demonstrates that a museum is not only about the tragic and painful past, but also about thriving communities today. Well labelled and documented and an excellent collection of textiles. A lesson in colonialism in its various forms.

This place is big. It has potential. But unfortunately there are too few artefacts on display. The museum shop has more stuff than the museum collection. If you are already somehow familiar with the aboriginal culture in the region absolutely don't bother. Very few pictures. I was hoping for a nice movie. The woman at the ticket desk have me 3d glasses and said that there is a movie every hour. I waited for it and it was a 3d animation about a boy who was riding somewhere on a bear. How you can recommend something like this to a grown up person is beyond me. Waste of time. Spend your time going to a real aboriginal village instead before it's turned into another Disneyland for tourist that a Han owner benefits from.

Taiwan has just recently begun to acknowledge and value what it now recognizes, based on ethnographic and linguistic studies, the 16 aboriginal tribes that existed well before Chiang Kai-Shek forever changed the face of this beautiful island country. While the Palace Museum, across the street, is filled with Chinese art, this museum houses what we were told is a collection of more than 2000 artifacts from the indigenous Atayal, Paiwan and Tao tribes, along with a very useful audio-guided tour that sets the artifacts into historical and cultural perspective. Unless you're there with children, skip the somewhat silly introductory film. Definitely start on the basement level, and work your way to the top. You won't be disappointed. The museum's small gift shop is also the place to buy aboriginal arts and crafts and cds of traditional music. As another reviewer has pointed out, this museum is, indeed, a "Local Treasure."

I warmly recommend this museum if interested to the origins of Taiwan and its aboriginal population. The exhibition shows several aspects of the natives' lives: houses, traditions, clothing, rituals, spirituality. A very interesting and well structured exhibition.

The Shung Ye Museum houses exhibits on Taiwan’s aboriginal culture. The exhibitions explain the Austronesian people who migrated from south China to settle in today’s Taiwan during and after the Ice Age. These people share genetic and linguistic roots with other Austronesian people of the Pacific from New Zealand to Hawaii. The museum presents a small permanent ethnographic exhibition on Taiwan’s main aboriginal groups. There is still a substantial and thriving aboriginal population in Taiwan, and the museum often presents exhibitions of contemporary art by aboriginal artists. The ground floor of the museum is especially informative, with short documentaries and aboriginal music. Your ticket to the National Palace Museum gets you discounted admission to this small and quiet modern museum that is next door. Save time for this local treasure.