TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's first national museum dedicated to its Indigenous peoples marked a milestone in the island's cultural landscape this week. The Council of Indigenous Peoples (原住民族委員會), the government body overseeing Indigenous affairs in Taiwan, officially launched the museum's preparatory office in a ceremony held near the scenic Chengcing Lake (澄清湖) in southern Taiwan's port city of Kaohsiung on Wednesday (June 18). Council Minister Ljaucu Zingrur (曾智勇), himself a member of the Paiwan tribe, emphasized that the museum would serve dual purposes: elevating Taiwan's diverse Indigenous cultures on the international stage while fostering deeper understanding and appreciation among Taiwan's broader society.
The Executive Yuan (行政院), Taiwan's cabinet, allocated a substantial NT$5.858 billion (approximately US$198.2 million) for the museum's initial construction phase in March 2024, underscoring the government's commitment to preserving Indigenous heritage. Officials project that construction will conclude in 2031, with doors opening to the public the following year in 2032, culminating a decade-long development process. The ambitious cultural project carries a total estimated cost of NT$7.049 billion (about US$238.5 million), representing one of Taiwan's largest investments in Indigenous cultural infrastructure. During the ceremony, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) expressed particular satisfaction with the project, noting that he had championed the museum during his previous tenure as a national legislator and highlighting how its budget had doubled to NT$5.8 billion (US$196.2 million), a development he described as a significant achievement for the southern metropolis.
Signaling its aspirations for global engagement, the newly established preparatory office immediately forged international connections by signing a memorandum of understanding with the Alele Museum in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, a fellow Pacific nation with its own rich Indigenous traditions. This partnership represents an early step in what officials hope will become a network of collaborations with Indigenous cultural institutions worldwide. According to council representatives, the preparatory office has already made significant organizational progress, having recruited specialized professionals in March and completed its administrative structure by April of this year. The office has outlined an ambitious interim milestone with plans to establish the "Vision Hall" (願景館), a preview exhibition space, scheduled to begin operations in the first half of 2027, providing the public with a glimpse of the museum's ultimate vision years before the main facility opens.
Architectural plans for the museum's first phase reveal an expansive cultural complex designed to showcase Taiwan's Indigenous heritage through multiple complementary spaces, including a comprehensive main exhibition hall, a specialized collection hall for artifacts and historical items, an outdoor ritual plaza for ceremonies and performances, and an integrated cultural and tourism park. The facility will encompass a total floor area of 27,185 square meters (approximately 292,600 square feet), making it one of Taiwan's largest cultural institutions dedicated to its original inhabitants. While the full museum remains years from completion, the interim "Vision Hall" will employ cutting-edge digital technologies to create immersive experiences for visitors, with exhibits and narratives specifically crafted from Indigenous perspectives rather than through the conventional anthropological lens that has dominated many museums globally. ◼
