TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The National Palace Museum, Taipei (故宮博物院), Taiwan's premier repository of Chinese imperial treasures, has unveiled a special exhibition featuring two exquisite jade cabbages that will remain on display through December 2025. The temporary showcase addresses the absence of the museum's iconic jadeite cabbage with insects (翠玉白菜), one of Taiwan's most celebrated cultural artifacts, which begins a rare international loan to the Národní muzeum in Prague, Czech Republic, from Sept. 11 through Dec. 31.
Visitors can now admire the first substitute jade cabbage, an exceptional jadeite creation featuring meticulously detailed leaf veins and a delicately carved mantis resting on its stalk. This artistic representation of natural harmony has not been publicly displayed since 2018, according to museum curators. The companion piece, a triangular jade cabbage with a hollow interior designed as a decorative flower container, showcases refined carving techniques that museum scholars have dated to the Qing Dynasty period spanning the 18th and 19th centuries.
Museum administrators have highlighted the exceptional quality of these alternative jade specimens, suggesting they offer visitors a unique opportunity to appreciate superior craftsmanship while the famous original travels abroad. Curatorial staff note that these replacement pieces actually demonstrate even finer jade quality than the internationally renowned original, providing art enthusiasts with an unexpected benefit during the temporary absence of the museum's star attraction. Both alternative jade cabbages will remain on public view through December 2025. ◼