Flashes of Insight: Aesthetic Principles and the Appreciation of Calligraphy

National Palace Museum · Exhibition Hall I, rooms 204 and 206 · Taipei · –

Key facts

GUAN makes in-depth guides to time-limited special exhibitions: each selected work has commentary and audio in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese and English, and every key fact cites its source.

Dates
Sep 25 to Dec 27, 2026
Venue
National Palace Museum · Shilin · Taipei · No. 221, Sec. 2, Zhishan Rd., Shilin Dist., Taipei City 111001
Opening hours
09:00–17:00
Closed
Mondays (open Mondays September 28, October 26, November 9 and December 7).
Admission
Adult NT$350; Discount (local ID or ISIC card holders) NT$150
GUAN guide
4 selected works with text and audio in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and English; free
Highlights
Chinese calligraphy seen through aesthetic principles such as symmetry, contrast and repetition: how calligraphers arrange dots, strokes and radicals, and the spaces between characters and lines, to create beauty in single characters and in whole works.

Chinese calligraphy seen through aesthetic principles such as symmetry, contrast and repetition: how calligraphers arrange dots, strokes and radicals, and the spaces between characters and lines, to create beauty in single characters and in whole works.

In-depth audio guide

Plan your visit

Opening hours
09:00–17:00 Ticket sales and exchange end at 16:30.
Closed
Mondays (open Mondays September 28, October 26, November 9 and December 7).
Closed during the exhibition
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Admission
  • Adult NT$350
  • Discount (local ID or ISIC card holders) NT$150
Reservation
Free for everyone under 18, and for disabled visitors with one companion; some local visitor groups are also free.
Address
No. 221, Sec. 2, Zhishan Rd., Shilin Dist., Taipei City 111001

Information verified · Check the official site for same-day updates

Works (4)

  1. 1. Preface to the Sacred Teaching (Song rubbing) Huairen, assembled from Wang Xizhi’s writing; rubbing maker unknown · Ink rubbing on paper, album · Song-dynasty rubbing; original stele erected in 673 · National Palace Museum — A balanced character need not have two matching halves.
  2. 2. Rubbing of Draft of a Requiem to My Nephew After Yan Zhenqing; engraver and rubbing maker unknown · Ink rubbing on paper, album · Ming-dynasty Tingyunguan rubbing; original draft written in 758 · National Palace Museum — A correction can interrupt a line without ending its movement.
  3. 4. Rubbing of the Stele in Eighteen Scripts After the monk Mengying; rubbing maker unknown · Ink rubbing on paper, hanging scroll · Original inscription written in 967; this rubbing is undated · National Palace Museum — Letters can suggest leaves, birds or falling drops while still remaining writing.
  4. 6. Rongxue Letter Mi Fu · Ink on paper, album leaf · Northern Song; attributed by the museum to Mi Fu’s years after age fifty, exact year unknown · National Palace Museum — Four columns are enough for a letter to change its pace.

Questions

Is there an audio guide for Flashes of Insight: Aesthetic Principles and the Appreciation of Calligraphy?

Yes. GUAN selected 4 works from the exhibition, each with text and audio in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and English. All of it is free.

How much is admission to Flashes of Insight: Aesthetic Principles and the Appreciation of Calligraphy?

Adult NT$350; Discount (local ID or ISIC card holders) NT$150.

When is Flashes of Insight: Aesthetic Principles and the Appreciation of Calligraphy on?

Sep 25 to Dec 27, 2026.

What are the opening hours of Flashes of Insight: Aesthetic Principles and the Appreciation of Calligraphy?

Open 09:00–17:00. Ticket sales and exchange end at 16:30. Closed: Mondays (open Mondays September 28, October 26, November 9 and December 7).

Official website

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