Following on from my earlier post about the wonderful museums of Taiwan I wanted to point out a new museum trend – extended visiting hours. This is part of an international trend in museums and the culture industry. It also means visiting no longer needs to be limited by the usual nine to five opening hours. There are a few museums in Taipei with extended hours.

The National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院) has extended hours on Saturday from 5:00 to 8:30 pm. According tho the NPM website ROC citizens under 30 years of age or enrolled ROC students receive free admission with ID. I contacted the museum by phone and they said foreigners also qualify for free entry if they are students or under 30 years of age. Don't forget to bring your ID.

The Taipei Fine Arts Museum (台北市立美術館) has extended opening on Saturday from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. Admission is free for everybody. Also students can get free entry all day on Saturday, not just after 5:30 pm.

The National Museum of History (國立歷史博物館) has a Friday evening opening from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

So next time you are looking for something to do on a Saturday night your options aren't just limited to bars and nightclubs. You can take a look at one of Taipei's museums.