National Palace Museum

Taiwan, Republic of China

The impetus and means for the development of digital culture and digital museum resources have come in various forms. Chief among them is the arrival of the knowledge economy, advance of digital technology, ubiquity of the Internet, and a shortage of high-quality website content. The evolution of the world from a paper-based to a networked civilization has also contributed to the birth of digital culture. This new culture will profoundly affect the way we use digital technology to preserve and promote culture, contributing at the same time to the development of a humanistic society and economic growth.

The National Palace Museum collection comprises a vast store of imperial treasures and relics. Embodying the wisdom of China’s early civilizations, they are objects of enduring fascination in Taiwan and around the world. Unfortunately, space limitations and the fragility of the calligraphic works and paintings in the collection force the museum to display these treasures on a rotational basis. Visitors to the museum are consequently unable to see the collection in its entirety. One solution to this shortcoming is to make collection pieces available in digital form, both online and in CD-ROM format. Digital media eliminates the restrictions of time, space, and distance in displaying cultural relics. They can also enhance the appreciation of these works by allowing for the addition of expert commentary, multimedia aids, 360-degree views, and enlarged perspectives. An additional benefit of the digitizing process is the compilation of a photo and text database, which can be used to aid the search and statistical analysis of collection resources and generally improve the ability of the museum to fulfil its display, education, research, publishing, and management roles.

With the widespread penetration of the World Wide Web in the office, classroom, and home, museums displays and other information can now be made available in digital format throughout the globe. The National Palace Museum is thus actively developing its digital archive and digital museum systems and presenting these resources to the public via the museum website. We are very glad to introduce the development of these digital resources and discuss the impact of digital culture on the museum’s development.

Digital exhibitions of National Palace Museum