For most visitors passing by the National Taiwan Museum, the two bronze oxen at the front entrance often go inadvertently unnoticed. Despite a sign that states “No Climbing,” children frequently turn the animals into an impromptu playground. The oxen originally belonged to the Taiwan Grand Shrine, the highest-ranking Shinto shrine in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period. Located in Yuanshan, the shrine was dismantled after World War II, and the site was later repurposed into what is now the Grand Hotel. In 1949, the oxen were relocated to their current…
