The land beneath your feet actually hides 20,000 years of history | An in-depth tour of the Tainan Archaeological Museum

If you think that "museums are places to store antiques", then you must not have been to Tainan's [National Museum of Prehistory - Nanke Archaeological Museum]. This archaeological theme museum hidden in Tainan's Nanke Park tells the oldest story in Taiwan with the most modern design language. From human bones 20,000 years ago, pottery jars 5,000 years ago, to settlement sites hundreds of years old, every exhibit and every paragraph of text on the wall is a bridge of memory connecting us to this land. 🦴 Did you know that there were humans in Taiwan 20,000 years ago? The core of the entire museum is the "Dabenkeng Cultural Site" accidentally discovered during the development of Nanke, which is one of the most important discoveries in Taiwan's prehistoric era. Therefore, the archaeological museum is not just an exhibition hall, but also a museum located in the original place and built on the site, which is of extraordinary significance. Walking into the museum is like opening a time machine. You will see: • The oldest human remains, prehistoric portrait models restored from skulls • Stone tools, pottery, shell products and glass beads, witnessing the transition of human beings from gathering to farming • A three-dimensional sand table showing the excavation process of the site, reconstructing settlements, houses and life • An immersive exhibition hall like a "time tunnel" allows people to step into the daily life thousands of years ago Interestingly, these cultural relics were not transported from other places, but truly "came from the land under their feet". Everything you see was dug out in Southern Taiwan Science Park. 👀 Archaeology is no longer an unpopular subject, but a journey of dialogue with ancestors What impressed me most was the statue of a girl restored from a skull - she was a girl in southern Taiwan about 5,000 years ago, not much different from us modern people, but living in a completely different time and space. When I saw her face, I suddenly understood: "It turns out that we are not here to see history, we are here to see where we come from." The museum also carefully designed the interactive area, where children can play excavation simulation, piece together pottery fragments, and count ancient artifacts. Adults can also learn about archaeological knowledge through audio guides and immersive projections, which is not boring at all. 🏛️ The museum itself is also a work of art The building was designed by the famous architect Huang Shengyuan. It is low-key and restrained, and blends with the landscape. It uses a lot of natural lighting and gray and white tones, like a calm stone lying quietly in the sunshine of southern Taiwan. There are large grasslands and rest seats outdoors. The geometric lines and tree shadows outside the museum are intertwined, making this place a holy place for taking photos. It is not just a museum, but also a space to slow down and quietly think about "where we come from". 📍【Notes on the National Museum of Prehistory-Nanke Archaeological Museum】 • Address: No. 10, Nanke 3rd Road, Xinshi District, Tainan City • Opening hours: 09:00–17:00 (closed on Mondays) • Ticket information: NT$100 for adults/NT$50 for students/free for those under 6 years old and over 65 years old • Recommended stay time: about 1.5–2 hours • Transportation: Drive or take the high-speed rail to Tainan Station and transfer to the shuttle bus (10 minutes walk) • Nearby stops: Shugu Living Science Museum, Nanke Archaeological Park, Chimei Museum (30 minutes drive) 💬 History is not just about seeing "them in the past", but also about seeing "our starting point". This archaeological museum does not have gorgeous and exaggerated exhibits, but it has the most touching "land memory". Once you see it, you will want to bring your family and friends to come again. This is not the Taiwan in the textbook, but the real, flesh-and-blood Taiwan. #MayGoodPlaces2025