Mini Cultural Trips in Taipei

Located on the hillside campus of Taipei National University of the Arts (TNUA), the Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts overlooks the Guandu Plain and holds the distinction of being the first art museum in Taiwan to be set up within a university campus.

In the 1990s, TNUA—then known as the National Institute of the Arts—initiated plans to build a dedicated museum to enhance its resources for arts education. Construction was completed in 1996, and the museum held its inaugural exhibition, Waves Striking: One Hundred Years of Taiwanese Arts, in 2001. After interior renovations subsidised by the Ministry of Education, the museum officially opened in 2005 and became a key venue integrating academic research, exhibition curation, and arts education.

Designed by architect Lee Tsu-Yuan, the building breaks away from conventional symmetrical forms, with a fluid, asymmetrical design that guides visitors through a dynamic and engaging spatial experience and makes the architecture itself a work of contemporary art. The museum features one basement level and five floors above ground, with nine galleries and an outdoor plaza. The exhibition space covers 2,400 m2. Large glass windows let in ample natural light, allowing the artworks to transform with shifting light and shadow, while the surrounding natural Guandu landscape enhances the dialogue between art and environment.

As a university-based museum, Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts serves not only as an exhibition space for artists but also as a vital hub for student learning and faculty research. Doctoral and graduate students conduct primary research here, integrating exhibitions into their academic work. The museum’s curatorial philosophy centres on communication, aiming to spark dialogue between art and audience and to bring art into everyday life. To this end, the museum holds a wide range of exhibitions—from contemporary and new media art to traditional crafts—and hosts educational programmes including docent training, children’s art camps, and hands-on workshops to make art more accessible and engaging to the public.

The next time you visit TNUA, step into the Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts and experience a cultural sanctuary where nature, architecture, and art come together.

Taipei National University of the Arts, Xingtian Temple Beitou Branch (Zhongyi Temple), Guandu Temple, Guandu Wharf, Guandu Riverside Cycling Path, Shalaobie Park(Chenghuang Temple)