Riding a wave of viral fame, Taiwan's National Palace Museum sold eight complete facsimile sets of the Tibetan Dragon Canon at the 2026 Taiwan Cultural Creativity Expo, generating record-breaking off-site revenue for the institution.
The museum offered the 108-volume facsimile set at a 30% discount during the expo, which ran from August 6 to 12 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. The discounted price was NT$1.316 million (approximately $41,300), down from the standard retail price of NT$1.88 million (approximately $59,000) — a saving of more than NT$500,000 per set. Combined with other cultural merchandise sold at its booth, the museum generated approximately NT$12.92 million (approximately $405,000) in total revenue — the highest off-site exhibition income in the institution's history.
Decades of Technical Work Behind a Million-Dollar Reproduction
The facsimile edition is the product of a multi-decade effort. The National Palace Museum launched an image preservation program in 1987 and spent seven years completing microfilm photography of the entire Dragon Canon. A formal publication project followed in 2007, and Longgang Digital Culture signed a licensing agreement with the museum in 2008 to produce the printed edition.
The production process demanded years of additional research. The Longgang team searched extensively for paper capable of matching the texture of the original's indigo-dyed pages and for inks able to replicate the luminous sheen of the gold-ink script. The finished product is considered to closely approximate the visual effect of the 357-year-old original.
Museum Extends Exhibition as Visitor Surge Shows No Sign of Slowing
The Dragon Canon's viral moment — driven by users of the social media platform Threads posting accounts of unusual physical sensations after viewing the scripture — prompted the museum to open a second phase of the exhibition, running from August 8 to November 8. Visitors wishing to enter the special exhibition rooms (Galleries 103 and 104) must reserve tickets online in advance. The reservation requirement applies only to the Dragon Canon exhibition; all other museum galleries remain accessible with standard admission. （Related： Exclusive | The Tibetan Dragon Canon Fueling Taiwan's Museum Frenzy ｜ Latest ）
