The 15 under-the-radar Palace Museum treasures from Hong Kong, Beijing and Taipei

While less famous than other exhibits, these unusual artefacts make visiting the Palace Museums a rewarding experience

They include ancient pottery, 19th-century artwork and iconic pieces of Chinese culture

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Visitors dress-up in traditional clothing during the opening day of the Hong Kong Palace Museum. Photo: SCMP

Published: 3:00pm, 9 Jul 2022

The Palace Museums in Hong Kong, Beijing and Taipei showcase some of the most important relics from Chinese civilisation. And like any museum, they also feature interesting artefacts that get overshadowed by their more famous neighbours on display.

We showcase five under-the-radar artefacts from each museum below.

Hong Kong Palace Museum

Copy of Wang Xizhi calligraphy

If this were the original Wang Xizhi calligraphy, it would likely be a flagship artefact because there is no known original work by the famous Jin dynasty (266-420) artist. Still, this Song dynasty copy from the 11th or 12th century is worthy of a look.

The calligrapher was so famous that Emperor Taizong (598-649) of the Tang dynasty would personally copy Wang’s work. The Hong Kong Palace Museum includes an interactive installation allowing viewers to copy Emperor Taizong’s copy of Wang’s work.

Gramophone from the Republic era

The real version of this gramophone is much larger than it appears in the photograph. Photo: Hong Kong Palace Museum

A piece far more connected to modernity than many of the artefacts at the museum, this gramophone was from the early 20th century in the Republic of China. It features an elegant bell-shaped horn protruding from a beautiful wooden music box.