Located on Nanhai Road in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei City, the Nanhai Education Park (南海學園) is a compound consisting of cultural and educational facilities, including the National Museum of History, the former National Taiwan Science Education Center, the National Taiwan Arts Education Center, the former National Central Library, the National Education Radio facility, and the Taipei Municipal Jianguo Senior High School, among others.
Please watch the following video about the Nanhai Education Park:
Adjacent to the Taipei Botanical Garden, the National Museum of History (國立歷史博物館) was founded in 1955, and is an important venue for artistic and cultural activities in Taipei. It has about 56,000 pieces of artworks, handicrafts, and Chinese historical artifacts, including bronzes unearthed in Xinzheng, Hui, and Anyang in China’s Henan Province, pre-Qin Dynasty pottery unearthed in Loyang, Han green-glazed pottery, dance and musician figurines of the Six Dynasties, Tang Dynasty tri-colored pottery, and other treasures.
The collection of the Museum of History also includes the historical items returned by the Japanese government after World War II. Its collection dates back to the Neolithic period and ancient Chinese dynasties up to the contemporary era.
Dedicated to the education of science, the National Taiwan Science Education Center (NTSEC, 國立臺灣科學教育館) was first established in 1956. The building was modeled after the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (祈年殿) in Beijing’s Temple of Heaven (北京天壇).
Following NTSEC’s relocation to Taipei City’s Shilin District in 2003, the building underwent an 8-year renovation to become the Taipei Contemporary Craft Design Branch of the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute (國立臺灣工藝研究發展中心臺北當代工藝設計分館) in 2015. The building was designated as a historical site by the Taipei City Government in 2006.
Nanhai Education Park showcases skills of Taiwan’s artisans
Aiming to revive the past history of Nanhai Education Park and showcase the skills and accomplishments of Taiwan’s artisans, the Contemporary Craft Design Branch exhibits fine contemporary craft pieces.
Established in 1957, the National Taiwan Arts Education Center (國立臺灣藝術教育館) was originally called the National Museum of Art, but was renamed in 1985. As the country’s first arts education center responsible for overseeing the study and promotion of art, it laid the foundation for the country’s cultural creativeness in postwar Taiwan.
The Taipei Municipal Jianguo Senior High School (臺北市立建國高級中學) was established in 1898 during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, and was the first public high school in Taiwan. It is currently regarded as one of the most prestigious senior high schools in Taiwan, and usually only the top male students can be admitted. The red brick building, also known as the Red House, was built in 1909, and designated as a historical building.
One of the striking highlights of the Nanhai Education Park is its adjacent Taipei Botanical Garden with its beautiful lotus pond. Built in 1921 during the Japanese colonial period, the Taipei Botanical Garden was the first botanical garden in Taiwan.
Covering about 20.2 acres (8.2 hectares), the garden has a collection of over 2,000 plant species from around the world. It is one of the most important botanical institutes for research and education in Taiwan.
Additionally, there is a herbarium in the garden, which was built in 1924 and was the first herbarium in Taiwan. It has a rich collection of plant specimens from around the world dating back to the last century.
The Museum of Imperial Envoy Lodging (also known as the Guest House of Imperial Envoys) was built in 1888 and relocated to the current site in the garden in 1933. Both the Herbarium and the Museum of Imperial Envoy Lodging were designated by the Taipei City Government as historic monuments.
With classical buildings, a natural environment, rich collections of historical articles, and plant specimens from around the world, the Nanhai Education Park and the adjacent Taipei Botanical Garden are popular destinations for visitors, especially during the summer months when the lotus flowers are in bloom.
