Chi Mei Museum

Chi Mei Museum is funded by Chi Mei Corporation, a petrochemical company. Chairman Hsu Wen-lung set up Ching Mei Culture Foundation in 1977 and decided to improve Taiwan's public culture. Thus he established the museum for art exhibition as well as art education. Currently, most paintings collected in the museum are classic and impressionist. The museum also loans its violins to famous musicians. Established in 1990, the museum is open to the public and has several exhibition areas, including art, natural history, historic weapons, musical instruments, ancient objects and industrial techniques.

The museum has a collection of European paintings in the 18th and 19th century, presenting the development of Western art. The historic weapon exhibition presents weapons from prehistoric time, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age through to modern times. The two canons in front of the museum were designed and built in 1689. They were taken away by foreigners in the 19th century until Chi Mei Culture Foundation purchased them in 1994. The museum also collects valuable violins, including 5 Antonio Stradivaris, 2 Guarneri del Gesu, Nicolo Amati, Jacob Stainer, Amati, Rogeri, Joseph Guarneri Filius Andrea, Seraphin, Gagliano and Guadagnini.