National Museum of Taiwan Literature

National Museum of Taiwan Literature

National Museum of Taiwan Literature
4
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
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The area
Neighborhood: West Central District/ North District
The West Central District is the most populous and the busiest area. A lot of shops and hotels crowd the district, and the long-standing history results in a variety of street food. In addition to that, this district also has the highest number of temples. This is how it got the name “Tainan’s Pantheon.” Historic buildings are literally ubiquitous. For example, Hayashi Department Store, National Museum of Taiwan Literature, Confucius Temple, Chihkan Tower (formerly Fort Provintia), Sacrificial Rites Martial Temple, Tainan Grand Mazu (name of a goddess) Temple, etc. Recently, the tourism in Tainan has laid emphasis on alleys and lanes. Examples include Fujhong Street specialising in creative handicrafts, as-you-stroll desserts on Jhengsing Street, Shennong Street lined with hundred-year-old ancient houses, Sinyi Street on which the old city gate stands, Sinmei Street where old and new cultures fuse together, and Guohua Street and Baoan Raod famous for all the savoury food. All the traditional and delicious food and flavours are about to burst in your mouth. The North District, on the other hand, is a quiet secret hideaway. Lane 321 on Gongyuan Road used to be a Japanese soldiers’ dormitory. Now a few artists have set up their studios here. There are diversified art styles in each old Japanese-style house. The Garden Night Market on Haian Road is one of the famous night markets in both Tainan and Taiwan, and was the top 12 Facebook check-in location worldwide in 2013.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.0
284 reviews
Excellent
118
Very good
123
Average
39
Poor
3
Terrible
1

liucy752
Taipei, Taiwan1,179 contributions
Oct 2022
There are two main focus points of the visit: one is the building itself, the other is the museum exhibition.

Dating back to 1916, The building was originally the Tainan State Hall (台南州廳) during the Japanese colonial era. It was designed by architect Moriyama Matsunosuke (森山松之助) .

The building was renovated by architect P.S. Chen (陳伯森) and his team. Through the "on-site display" method, they let the visitors understand the structural characteristics and restoration condition of the original building.
Due to their excellent work, the building has been listed as a national monument.

In order to expand the space of the museum, similar to the concept of "the great court of British Museum", a new building with five levels (three floors underground) was added within the scope of the atrium. The court becomes the center of the museum. The new building is lower than the original historic building and could not be found from the facade. A very clever design.

The National Taiwan Literature Museum has a large collection of Chinese, Taiwanese, and Japanese literature works by people who lived in Taiwan.

In addition to the collection, preservation and research of documents, there are various permanent exhibitions and special exhibitions. The museum promotes Taiwanese literature through static exhibitions, interactive facilities, speeches, symposia, and other forms of educational activities.
Admission is free.
Written October 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Marathonwinner
Toronto, Canada116 contributions
Feb 2012 • Couples
The simple fact is that the museum is about Taiwanese literature with an emphasis on native aboriginal writers. Unless you're a genius you're just not going to fathom what is going on in the non-english presentations.
I wouldn't let that stop me from a quick stop here however. The building is truly gorgeous both inside and outside - a remnant of earlier Japanese colonialism. It has a really fine cafe where you can get some fantastic salads and other lunch time stuff (for the usual inflated museum prices).
Also, the museum is ideally located around a whole series of other interesting sites. So you can drop in here for a few minutes of gawking at the architecture and proceed down the street to the famous Confucian Temple or around the block to the equally famous Tu Hsaio Yueh (Slack Season Tan Tsai Noodles) restaurant, or just a few more blocks away to the vibrant Tiantan Temple or Mr. Wu's Garden. And if your legs can take it even more temples. Oh, and the museum is free so you get more than you pay for.
Written February 24, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bowi72
Kriftel, Germany319 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
The building makes an interesting picture, especially in the evening when it’s a facade is being highlighted with spots. Go inside though it’s not that spectacular, there are different areas with of course the focus on literature, if you are not a diehard literature fan, you may be disappointed.
Written April 11, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Steve K
New Taipei, Taiwan737 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
I’m a museum junkie, and Tainan is blessed with a rich and diverse number of good and great collections. This is, arguably, the worst of them all. What a disappointment. There were two exhibits up when we visited, and no English interps at all, despite one of them being about Hong Kong.

The building is interesting enough, and the redevelopment/reuse has created a beautiful atrium space. But the new building additions themselves are without any aesthetic merit at all.

I should say that staff were pleasant (but they really didn’t have anything else to do).
Written February 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

thevoyagingteacher
Philadelphia, PA34 contributions
Jul 2018 • Solo
While a lot of the exhibits had Chinese incorporated, just as many had English options for non-Chinese speakers. Something that they didn't have to do! I did miss the Shakespeare and Taiwan exhibit but I did get to see their Feminist literature exhibit. This was definitely a place where I could have spent hours and never been bored.
Written November 14, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JhongliCanuck
Regina, Canada9 contributions
Aug 2012 • Solo
Admittedly, I'm not a fan of Taiwanese literature. For me, the treat of this visit was the Japanese architecture involved, so typical of the Japanese style from Meiji to 1945-both in Japan & in its empire (and I'm not passing judgement in any way on the pros & cons of Japanese imperialism). Relatively speaking, a magnificent building (restored) with one interesting exhibit: a Japanese film presentation that fluctuated between propaganda & travelogue: "Japanese life in Taiwan is wonderful!" In front of the screen is a very old motorcycle. For the life of me, I could not identify its DOM, make or model.
Written August 17, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Natalia B
Johannesburg, South Africa232 contributions
Dec 2016 • Family
This is a fantastic museum to visit for anyone with an interest in literature. it has many sections, so I guarantee you will not be bored! There are sections on Chinese influence in Taiwanese literature, archaic writings, modern writings (including feminist movements and erotica), sections on Taiwan and the world, and many more! I was also lucky enough to see the current exhibition, "Shakespeare in Taiwan", which was very interesting and enlightening!
All of the informative boards are written in Chinese, Taiwanese, and English, which is very helpful and considerate!
Written September 4, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Danny U
Tainan64 contributions
Oct 2014 • Family
This will be incredibly boring to anyone who cannot speak and read Mandarin. The highlight is the restaurant in the building which had great sandwiches and salads.
Written September 9, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

caromitxirrika
Minneapolis, MN114 contributions
Oct 2014 • Solo
I enjoyed this museum, particularly the fact that it was free.
Although there is a guide and signs in English, almost nothing else is in that language, making it hard for foreigners to find the content engaging.
I think that the children's library is a must visit, and they do have international, local, and translated books.
Written October 14, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Devon
Toronto, Canada104 contributions
Mar 2013
This is a nice place to come and see the exhibits. Its free. There are also some great pictures of old Tainan. Its in the cultural zone so its easy to get to. You dont need much time here.
Written March 6, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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National Museum of Taiwan Literature (West Central District) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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  • Tue - Sun 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM




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