The idea of using the Monkey King story — also known as Journey to the West — is that it links Chinese culture with the rest of the world through the medium of Buddhism. The money for this project would come from private sector investment. “Basically this will be done on a BOT (build-operate-transfer) model. Many people are interested, so the budget is no problem,” said Chou, adding that work on this project should begin in three or four years.
The recent completion of a new restaurant, Silks Palace (故宮晶華), managed by the Grand Formosa Regent group, has already added to the appeal of the museum as a destination and is helping to create a synergy between arts and fine dining. The museum has extended its opening hours on Saturdays to 8:30pm, when it sometimes holds concerts. The final concerts in the current series, performed by the National Chinese Orchestra (台灣國家國樂團), will take place at 6pm on Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday at the National Palace Museum auditorium (admission is free).
At 83, the National Palace Museum is looking younger than ever. It’s all a brave new world, and success or failure will depend on whether Chou is able to find the right balance between maintaining the museum’s international reputation and making it a commercially successful cultural playground.
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