Taiwan’s National Palace Museum has launched the “Arrival of the Gods – Immersive National Palace Museum 3.0 Digital Exhibition,” inviting viewers to rediscover mythology and immortals in an immersive space, witnessing how the gods depict the laws of the universe and experiencing a different charm of the National Palace Museum through technology.
Taiwan’s National Palace Museum stated that Taiwan’s religious culture is diverse and colorful, with the gods deeply influencing the lives of the common people. Deputy Director Huang Yongtai stated that in the past two years, the National Palace Museum has planned the “Immersive National Palace 1.0 – Four Seasons Travel” and “Immersive National Palace 2.0 – Capturing Divine Light: Seeking New Inspiration,” both of which have received enthusiastic responses from a wide audience.
In commemoration of the National Palace Museum’s centenary, Huang Yongtai said that continuing this inspiration and creativity, they have chosen “mythology” as the theme to launch the “Arrival of the Gods – Immersive National Palace 3.0 Digital Exhibition,” starting with a variety of precious museum collections including the national treasure “The Three Officials Touring” and the newly designated important ancient artifact “Illustrated Explanation of Various Buildings in Tai Prefecture,” as well as “Twenty-Eight Mansions Chart,” “Rearranged Inscription Mirror with Divine Beasts,” and “Eight Immortals in Bamboo Carving,” inviting everyone to come to the National Palace Museum to search for familiar traces of faith.
Huang Yongtai mentioned that the two main highlights of this exhibition are the use of new technology, combining popular AI generation and motion-sensing interactive technology to interpret immortals and mythology from ancient times to the present. Divided into 6 exhibition areas, the exhibition’s centerpiece – the immersive theater – presents precious cultural relics from the museum in an 8-minute immersive animation, translating and reproducing them, entering through time and space, experiencing how faith shapes culture and daily life.
Furthermore, Huang Yongtai explained that the final part of the exhibition, the “Divine Calendar,” invites viewers to enter the time of the gods, not only filming festival ritual scenes on-site but also incorporating images of the museum’s “Anlong Thanking the Earth” ceremony, demonstrating the continuation of intangible cultural heritage. The second highlight is the connection with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The exhibition content combines issues such as gender and sustainable development, hoping that through diverse perspectives in guiding and curating, it will further lead everyone to consider the role and responsibilities of museums in contemporary society.
The National Palace Museum of Taiwan stated that the “Arrival of the Gods – Immersive National Palace 3.0 Digital Exhibition” showcases mythological artifacts from the museum’s collection, leading viewers to experience the universe’s chaos and the separation of yin and yang from “creation” through immersive spaces, augmented reality, and interactive experiences.
“Divine Placement” depicts how deities gradually embed themselves in natural and political orders; “Entering Office and Residence” showcases how deities integrate with official systems; “Domestic and Foreign Service” reflects the flexible changes of deities in daily life; finally, the “Divine Calendar” presents how modern deities intertwine with annual festivals and our life experiences.
The exhibition, featuring materials from the National Palace Museum’s collection including “Rubbing of the Han Dynasty Sichuan Xing Jingyuan Tomb Image of Fu Xi and Nuwa,” “Illustrations from the Classic of Mountains and Seas,” “Twenty-Eight Mansions Chart” by Qing Dynasty artist Ding Guanpeng, and the “Image of the Elephant on the West Wall of the Wuliang Shrine” held by the Institute of History and Philology at the Academia Sinica, is designed to create an immersive interactive space.
The National Palace Museum of Taiwan mentioned that through the interactive sensory installations inspired by the national treasure “The Three Officials Touring” by Song Dynasty artist Ma Lin, viewers can mimic the movements of the attendants and become a member of the touring procession. The digital installation inspired by the “Illustrated Explanation of Various Buildings in Tai Prefecture” transforms the flat city map and temple buildings into three-dimensional models, allowing viewers to clearly see the distribution of these religious spaces in the city, further understanding how beliefs such as Mazu and Guan Yu are incorporated into the official system.