Lanyang Museum

About this place

The Lanyang Museum is a museum of the history and nature of Yilan County in the town of Toucheng, near the old Wushi Harbour. Its dark tilted building, which seems to rise out of the ground beside a wide pond, is among the best-known modern buildings in Taiwan. The idea was proposed in 1989 and a committee formed in 1992, and a team led by the architect Kris Yao won the design in 2000. Building began in August 2004, and it opened officially to the public on 16 October 2010. Its collection began with 1,924 items from the county's cultural bureau, among them traditional boats and a tri-wheeler. Yao drew the building from the tilted rocks of the Beiguan coast: the roof rises from the ground at 20 degrees and meets a wall rising at 70 degrees. The front is of stone panels and glass, reflected in the pond. Inside, exhibitions cover Yilan's mountains, plains and sea in that order. Around the building lie the wetlands of Wushijiao park and wooden paths for a quiet walk. The museum is 0.6 km in a straight line north of Toucheng station, an easy walk from the train. It is close to Wushi Harbour, so it pairs well with a Guishan Island trip. A travel article says it closes on Wednesdays, so check before you go. The best photograph is from across the pond on a clear day.