Two Taiwan museums make global top 20 Dinosaur-themed exhibits are expected to help keep attendance number ticking over at National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung City. (CNA) Publication Date:06/12/2014 Source: Taiwan Today The National Palace Museum in Taipei and National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung were the world’s 13th and 18th most popular museums, respectively,
last year, according to a report
released by California-based Themed Entertainment Association.
2013 was described in the report as “a year of exceptional performance globally, with Asia leading the pack.”
Attendance at the NPM increased 1.2 percent to 4.41 million visits, while NMNS pulled in 3.4 million visitors, a jump of 15 percent on the previous year.
According to TEA, museum attendance can swing dramatically from year to year. “In mature European or North American markets, [swings] are mostly attributable to blockbuster exhibits and other unique
programming that cause attendance spikes one year and drop-offs the next.
In emerging Asian markets, big attendance increases are more often connected to new development.”
NMNS managed its exceptional growth thanks to the diligence of museum staff in boosting the quality of its offerings and the original vision of its founder Han Pao-teh,
current director Sun Wei-hsin said.
Sun said the displays appeal to young and old alike, with interesting activities and a convivial family atmosphere,
backed up by solid research. Further evidence of the quality of the museum’s displays is the bronze award it won recently in the Audio and Tours and Podcasts
category for its Explore and Learn Pack at the American Alliance of Museums’
Muse Awards competition.
The NPM was the second most popular museum in Asia, after the National Museum of China in Beijing. Attendance at NPM is growing steadily, but space constraints have limited expansion at its
Taipei campus. It is expected that the opening of the NPM Southern Branch in Chiayi County,
scheduled for December 2015,
will bode well for continued growth in future attendance.
The Louvre retained its top spot as the world’s most popular museum by attendance, at 9.3 million visits. The National Museum of Natural History in Washington
was No. 2 with 8 million visits and the National Museum of China No. 3 with 7.5 million visits.
TEA is a nonprofit organization representing creators, developers, designers and producers of themed entertainment. It has 8,000 members
from about 1,000 firms in 40 countries. The body’s figures for museum attendance are recognized as authoritative by the