The Institute of Ethnology Museum, constructed using traditional Southern Min architecture, has also been a setting for the traditional ceremonies of Taiwan’s Indigenous peoples. The Museum possesses a collection of rich diversity, including various artifacts from Indigenous and Han Chinese religious life as well as an exhibition of China’s southern frontiers. This collection of over 8,000 items sits quietly in the Museum like capsules frozen in time. Walking through the premises, you will be fascinated with the vibrancy of its history.

Established in 1965, the Institute of Ethnology is one of the first Academia Sinica institutes in Taiwan. Its Preparatory Office began functioning in 1955, the same year that Director Dr. Ling Shun-sheng led an expedition to Laiyi village in Pingtung County to conduct research on Paiwan culture and collect ethnographic data and artifacts. Since then, the Institute has been devoted to researching and preserving the endangered cultural traditions of Taiwan’s Indigenous peoples, as well as ethnographic research on China, Southeast Asia, and other Pacific cultures.

The 631 specimens collected during the 1955 expedition to Laiyi village formed the beginning of our Museum’s collection. The next year saw the creation of a Specimen Room for these items, which provided opportunities for academic study. The Specimen Room was subsequently expanded into the Museum in 1988, with its new role including use for educational purposes.

In the years since AS moved to Taiwan, the Museum has been a part of its quest to conduct research and collect valuable artifacts, while coordinating with Indigenous groups so as to ensure that items are exhibited in ways that reflect their cultural contexts. The Museum might not boast a large exhibition area, but the artifacts come to life by returning to the cultural spaces where they belong. The Museum’s collection is not that of a single ethnic group, but one that showcases harmony in cultural diversity.

Institute of Ethnology Museum Information                             

• Collection Size: over 8,000 items.
• Collection Contents: Cultural relics of Taiwan’s Indigenous peoples, specimens of Han Chinese folk and religious artifacts, and ethnological artifacts from China, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, together with various other miscellaneous items.
• National Treasure Collection: House-posts from the Amis Kakitaan’s Ancestral Hall (O ma’ot’otay a sariri no Loma’ no Kakitaan i niyaro’ no Tafalong) and the Central House-post of the Zingrur Chieftain’s House of the Paiwan People (kasi tuskaviyangan a cukes na umaq nia zingrur a mazazangiljan nua se kaviyangan a paiwan)

O ma’ot’otay a sariri no Loma’ no Kakitaan i niyaro’ no Tafalong

• Long-term Exhibitions: Taiwan’s Aboriginal Cultures, Folk Religion in Taiwan, Archival Exhibition of China’s Southern Frontiers in the 1930s, An Exhibition Commemorating Dr. Ling Shun-sheng and His Anthropological Journey
• Hours: Every Wednesday and Saturday from 9:30 to 16:30.
• Website: https://www.ioe.sinica.edu.tw/index.aspx?SiteID=530367210304211520