Located roughly 30 minutes outside of downtown Taipei, the Yingge Ceramics Museum, located in New Taipei City, is well worth the visit. Housed in a dynamic glass-concrete-steel building, the museum houses some 2,000 pieces of pottery, many of which are remarkable. The history of pottery making in Taiwan is ancient, the quality outstanding. Permanent exhibitions include a history of Taiwan told through pottery, the history of the town of Yingge as a pottery center, Prehistoric/Aboriginal Taiwanese pottery, and Industrial and High-Tech Ceramics. The fascinating pieces in the museum span from the utilitarian to the decorative (the glazed roof tiles were among our favorites), and it’s easy to spend a half-day enjoying its 3 floors of exhibits. The museum is part of the larger Ceramics Park, with includes kilns and demonstration areas.

Special exhibitions are part of the museum experience, too. We here at WoWasis enjoyed the Classic Ceramics Brands of Taiwan exhibition, which included exquisite and utilitarian dinnerware and toilets. The curators are clearly proud of everything ceramically produced in Taiwan.

Yingge town, a few blocks away, has a pottery district centered on Old Pottery Street, but the shops’ output is pedestrian, and in our opinion, your time is better spent at the museum, one of the most intriguing, from a collection and presentation perspective, in Taiwan. A short distance away by taxi is the remarkable Sanxia Zushi Temple, one of the highlights of the Taipei area. We recommend you visit both of these compelling places on the same day, since you’re in the area.

New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum
200 Wenhua Rd., Yingge District
New Taipei City
GPS: N24°57.002’  E121°21.122’
Tel (02) 8677-2727
open daily, closed first Monday of every month
http://www.ceramics.ntpc.gov.tw/en-us/Home.ycm
Directions from Taipei by train: From Taipei, depart at the Yingge Station. Exit at Wunhua Road and turn rigjt, you will find yourself in the old commercial street. Walk along Wunhua Road for about six minutes and you’ll come across a drainage crossing under the railroad. Turn right under the crossing and in three minutes you will reach the Old Ceramics Street (Jianshanpu Road). Turn left here and walk along Wunhua for three minutes and you will arrive at the Museum