Taipei offers both traditional and modern cultural activities and institutions. There are many museums, libraries, and universities. Most notable is the National Palace Museum containing major art collections moved from Beijing, Nanjing, and other locations when the Kuomintang (KMT) left mainland China to escape the Communists in 1949. In addition, the Taiwan Provincial Museum and the National Museum of History contain art collections dating back more than 3000 years. Among important cultural events is the birthday celebration of the Chinese philosopher Confucius, held annually on September 28 at the Confucius Temple. Popular social gathering places are movie theaters, night clubs, discos, wine houses, and tea shops.
Taipei has several major universities. These include National Taiwan University, founded by Japanese colonialists in 1928, the National Taiwan Normal University (1946), the National Chengchi University (1927), Soochow University (1900), and Tamkang University (1950). Among Taipei's important libraries are the National Central Library (1943) and the Taiwan Branch Library (1915). Taipei's oldest temple is Lungshan (Chinese for Dragon Mountain), originally constructed in the 18th century. The temple has undergone several restorations as a result of earthquake and typhoon damage in the 19th century, and bombing in 1945 during World War II.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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