Miniatures Museum of Taiwan

The Miniatures Museum of Taiwan is founded in 1997 by Mr. Lin Wen-ren and his wife. It is one of the most fascinating small museums in Taiwan.

The idea for the museum originated during the Lins' extensive travels abroad. Their love for buying souvenirs in the form of miniature art brought to their attention works by artists in the United States and Canada. After acquiring a number of masterpieces in the genre, the Miniatures Museum was opened to give the people of Taiwan a chance to appreciate an art form that was not widely known here.

The art of creating miniature models of subjects from the real world is said to have been originated in Germany, where dollhouses were made as early as 400 years ago. Interestingly, most of these early dollhouses consisted of only a living room and/or a kitchen, showing that they were meant to be an educational tool for young girls learning how to do housework.

In the 19th century this kind of miniature art was introduced to England and quickly became popular. Soon more advanced methods for modeling architectural works and furnishings were invented. With the development of a new style of dollhouse, called a "room box", miniature art became even more sophisticated. Artists began to specialize in specific elements of rooms, such as furniture, paintings, lighting, upholstery, porcelain and glasswork. Their aim was to create masterpieces that were as similar in look and as historically correct in detail to the original as possible.

Since the unveiling of the Miniatures Museum in 1997, its collection has been expanded significantly and is still growing. Mr. Lin has created a place where intricate handicraft work and infinite realms of the imagination come together, providing a unique experience for visitors.

Although all the works of art are small in size, it is remarkable how wide a spectrum of life and fantasy the collection covers. In addition to intricate dollhouses and room boxes, which provide insight into the imaginations of artists and aristocrats from centuries past, there are also antique cars, boats, and many other pieces of intricate handiwork. The models are all built to scale, with the 12:1 scale dominating, but with some models at 24:1, 48:1, and even 120:1.

The Miniatures Museum exhibits more than 150 dollhouses and room boxes, the majority created by artists from the United States and Canada as well as England, Scotland, and other European countries. There are also works by Taiwanese and Japanese artists.

In order to promote miniature art in Taiwan, the museum also arranges classes where children can get acquainted with creating scale models on their own. In the museum shop, visitors can buy either ready-made miniatures or DIY kits, including railroad models as well as miniature articles such as furniture, accessories, electrifying material, and lighting fixtures.

The Miniatures Museum of Taiwan is located in Taipei City's Chiankuo North Road. Visitors can take the Muzha Line of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network and get off at the Nanjing East Road Station. Then walk for about 10 minutes along the Nanjing East Road. The museum opens from 10am to 6pm from Tuesday to Sunday, and closes on Mondays and the first day after public holidays.