Editing National Palace Museum (section)

== Controversies ==
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=== Ownership disputes ===
According to [[Ian Johnson (writer)|writer Ian Johnson]], many cultural items on the mainland were destroyed under communist rule and during the [[Cultural Revolution]], so the Kuomintang built the new National Palace Museum to show that Taiwan is the better China. Now that the Chinese communist party has redefined its mission to protect China's cultural past, Beijing has requested the return of the artefacts displayed in Taipei. The museum refuses to do so and does not loan them to other countries either, for fear that they might be indirectly repatriated to the Chinese mainland.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-05 |title=China is waging a restitution campaign against Taiwan's Forbidden City treasures |url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/06/05/china-is-waging-a-restitution-campaign-against-taiwans-forbidden-city-treasures |access-date=2024-08-21 |website=The Art Newspaper - International art news and events}}</ref>

Amid warmer relations in recent years, the Palace Museum in Beijing has lent relics to the National Palace Museum since 2009.<ref>{{cite news |date=16 February 2009 |title=China to lend treasures to Taiwan |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7892178.stm |access-date=16 June 2012 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> The Palace Museum curator Zheng Xinmiao said that the artifacts in both mainland and Taiwan museums are "China's cultural heritage jointly owned by people across the Taiwan Strait."<ref>{{Cite news |author=Mark McDonald |date=2 March 2009 |title=Top bid on disputed Yves Saint Laurent bronzes was a protest from China |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/02/world/asia/02iht-auction.3.20539588.html |work=The New York Times}}</ref>

=== Safety concerns ===
In October 2022, it was revealed that three artefacts from the Ming and Qing dynasties, reportedly worth US$77 million, had been damaged. In response to inquiries, the museum admitted that two teacups were found broken in February and April that year, and a plate was dropped in May. Curator Wu Mi-cha suspected that the teacups might have been damaged due to unsatisfactory storage practices, which the museum is working to improve.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-01 |title=Taiwan museum admits to breaking three Ming and Qing dynasty artefacts worth US$77 million |url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/taiwan-national-palace-museum-admitted-breaking-uninsured-ming-qing-dynasty-artefacts-3035871 |website=CNA}}</ref>

In August 2022, [[2022 Chinese military exercises around Taiwan|PLA drills]] around Taiwan raised concerns over the potential safety of the museum's artifacts. Former director [[Chou Kung-shin]] suggested creating a plan to store them in the mountain tunnels nearby. After they were originally shipped into Taiwan, the artifacts were first stored inside tunnels in [[Taichung]] during the 1950s before being moved to Taipei, where the museum was eventually built.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-09 |title=Taiwan seeks safety net for Palace Museum in case of PLA attack |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3188327/massive-pla-drills-around-taiwan-spark-worries-over-700000 |website=South China Morning Post}}</ref>