SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- On Monday, March 31, the director of the National Palace Museum of Taipei, Ms. Fung Ming-chu, welcomed Asian Art Museum director Dr. Jay Xu to Taipei to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the two museums. The memorandum officially acknowledges the museums' collaborative efforts to develop an exhibition featuring Chinese artworks selected from the National Palace Museum of Taipei, home to one of the most important collections of Chinese art in the world. The exhibition is scheduled to be presented at the Asian Art Museum in 2016 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the museum’s founding in San Francisco and may travel to up to two additional venues in North America. The museums agreed to finalize a more detailed exhibition agreement at a later date.

In return for the exhibition from the National Palace Museum, the museums decided to work together to develop an exhibition from the Asian Art Museum’s acclaimed collection to be presented at the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum in 2017.

The signing took place at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, a “sister city” of San Francisco since 1970. Joining Dr. Xu and Ms. Fung at the ceremony were Chang Chin-e, deputy mayor of Taipei; and Ryan J. Roberts, director of the American Center and Cultural Affairs Office at the American Institute in Taiwan. Mrs. Edwin M. Lee attended on behalf of the mayor of San Francisco. Dr. Xu arrived in Taipei on United Airlines’ inaugural non-stop flight from San Francisco to Taipei on March 30.

The Asian Art Museum has a strong relationship with the National Palace Museum and aims to once again showcase the National Palace Museum’s collection to San Francisco audiences. In 1996, the Asian Art Museum hosted the critically acclaimed exhibition Splendors of Imperial China: Treasures from the National Palace Museum, Taipei.