Taipei Palace Museum to expand

Taipei's Palace Museum on Tuesday unveiled an expansion plan to develop an exhibition area and cultural park covering 6.8 hectares to accommodate the growing number of visitors.

At a meeting held by Taiwan's environmental authority, a representative of the museum said the number of visitors has increased from 2.24 million in 2008 to 4.3 million last year, thanks to the island's policy of opening to mainland travellers.

The tourist number is expected to top 4.5 million this year, the representative said.

The expansion plan includes a new two-hectare exhibition building with four floors above ground and three floors underground as well as a 4.8-hectare art and cultural park.

However, the environmental authority said the plan needs to be further examined, particularly of the impact on traffic and flooding risks.

Taipei's Palace Museum, boasting more than 600,000 pieces of cultural relics, was built in 1965 and has been expanded five times.