The painting Qingming Shang He Tu ("Scenes along the River during the Qingming Festival"),an over 16-foot panorama running from right to left, is considered to be one of the most brilliant works in Chinese art history. It is a masterpiece of realism, recording the pulse of a thriving, historical town and showing extraordinary detail.
The Along the River During the Qingming Festival was painted by Chang Ze-Duan of North Song Dynasty on silk. Painted in light colors, it is 528cm wide and 24.8cm tall. Qingming implies Qingming Festival or Tomb Sweeping Festival. “Shang He” (above the river) was a norm at that time. After worshipping the ancestors and sweeping their tombs, people would get on the bridge to enjoy the view of Bianjing and River Bian. Or they may wander along the bridge and buy snacks from the vendors there and visit the riverside towns. This is what “Qingming Shang He” means. In the painting, we can see many of the norms of Qingming Festival, such as the pasted paper building miniatures in front of the “Wang’s Paper Horse Shop,” the tomb sweeping team with sedan chairs decorated with willow branches and flowers outside the city, the vendors selling mud figurines at the entrances of the bridge, the people gathering and drinking after tomb sweeping, and more. These scenes are similar to the descriptions of The Eastern Capital: A Dream of Splendor. In short, it is a masterpiece of social norms painting completed in the Song Dynasty. Cosmos Classics hopes to delineate and demonstrate the connotations and beauty of Along the River During the Qingming Festival in a candid attitude to allow readers to feel the beauty of this portrayal of the Bianjing in North Song Dynasty nine hundred years ago through textual guides of this book and the appreciation of this painting. In addition, it is hoped that readers can feel the Chang Ze-Duan’s dedication in the layout and thinking of this painting. We write in a comprehensive manner to provide readers guides to the entire painting in detail with this book to render the interpretations of the North Song Dynasty as faithfully as possible to its original look and feel. We would like to apologize for any imperfection in researches and proofreading of this book. Regarding the arrangements of the contents in this book, it begins with three chapters “The Historic Values of Along the River During the Qingming Festival,” “Imperial Painting Academy (Hanlin Tuhua Yuan) during the North Song Society and the Painter Chang Ze-Duan,” and “Bianjing and Transportations on the River Bian at the North Song Dynasty” to present an overall view of the contents, painter, and historical background of this painting. In the “Conclusion” at the end of this book, the painting techniques and contents of this work are analyzed in detail to allow readers to understand the intentions of Chang Ze-Duan better. The reference section is attached to communicate the careful attitude of and the references cited by Cosmos Classics to show our respect for the writers and researchers. The major task of this book is to introduce this lengthy scroll. From right to left, it is divided into three parts in accordance with their themes “Leisure Atmosphere in the Suburb Greens,” “The Busy Water Transportation on River Bian,” and “The Prosperous Bianjing City.” According to their features, Along the River During the Qingming Festival is divided into forty zones. In the beginning of the essay, a lighted and focused thumbnail is provided to allow readers to understand the location of the discussions. In the essays, magnified graphics of the small zones are attached as illustrations to allow readers to observe every person and every corner carefully in detail. The major reference of this book The Eastern Capital: A Dream of Splendor, which records the events happening between 1102 and 1125, during the time of prosperity of Bianjing from the year of Chongning to the year of Xuanhe of Hui Zhong of North Song Dynasty, during the years of the completion of this painting. In addition, history,journals and poetry written on Song Dynasty are also referenced to explain the characters, events and things portrayed in the painting, hoping to remain faithful to the theme. As to the professional parts, the Treatise on Architectural Methods or State Building Standards is consulted to compare with the structure of the architecture in the painting. The Exploitation of the Works of Nature is consulted to find out the structure of the boats. “On the Carts and Costumes” in Song History is consulted to pinpoint the making of the carts, sedan chairs and costumes of that period. The Eastern Capital: A Dream of Splendor is consulted to examine the social norms and the geographical location of the capital. Of course, reference books and articles on Along the River During the Qingming Festival are read to present a complete interpretation on the painting. The great Jiehua(Margin Painting) painter Chang Ze-Duan left us with the first hand materials of the image of capital city in the North Song Dynasty, including trade and commercial activities, costumes and social norms architectural style, furniture and vessels, transportation, and more. All of them are of high historical value. Moreover, its humanistic connotations and sensations allow us to read and re-read this painting. The closer we read it, the more we can find the painter’s intentions. It always impresses us with its infinite charms that echo in our hearts. Therefore, it is regarded as a classic in Chinese and world history of art. Ranked as one of the top ten Chinese paintings, it is also renowned as the “first and heavenly work in Chinese painting.” Viewing this picture Along the River During the Qingming Festival in the 21st century, it still wins our exclamations. This masterpiece has been passed down from generation to generation, having gone through wars and dynasties, and shifts in times, with unchanging values. Great paintings can always prevail over the limits of time and space to become immortal, demonstrating the beauty of aesthetics and universal human values. Although Along the River During the Qingming Festival is not the only painting that portrays the capital in Chinese history, it is the most complete painting that captures the social norms and characters of Bianjing in art history. From the illustrations, deconstructive interpretations, and plain and simple introduction of this book, readers can have a glimpse of the authentic picture of Bianjing during the North Song Dynasty. Reminiscing the past, Cosmos Classics has edited and released Along the River During the Qingming Festival by Chang Ze-Duan, a North Song Dynasty painter, in electronic book format. It is hoped that Chinese of this generation can converse with tradition to fuse the ancient with the modern. Reading the classics, we may be inspired to lay down milestones for modern arts. In addition, we are enthusiastic to share them globally to allow international people to immerse themselves in the beauty of Chinese arts.
Bestselling Chinese American author Adeline Yen Mah weaves her authentic accounts of life in China into an absorbing novel about a Chinese girl and her vision of a previous life. After a fall, CC is whisked away to a hospital. As she drifts in and out of consciousness, she is haunted by vivid dreams that seem strange—yet somehow familiar. Thus begins CC’s emotional journey back to a privileged life lived eight hundred years ago during the Song dynasty. CC is the daughter of a wealthy and influential man, but she finds herself drawn to a poor orphan boy with a startling ability to capture the beauty of the natural world. As the relationship between these two young people deepens, the transforming power of art and romantic love comes into conflict with the immovable rules of Chinese society. This stunning fantasy adventure novel, inspired by China’s most famous painting, Along the River at the Qing Ming Festival, tells the story of a friendship both tender and bold. CC’s remarkable journey reminds readers that though time moves on, art and love endure.
"Traditional Chinese medicine has been practiced in various forms for more than a thousand years. Practitioners may heal patients with herbal remedies, acupuncture, massage, exercise, and modified diets. Even today, herbal medicines are of particular importance; Chinese pharmacies containing a vast array of remedies can be found in cities and towns the world over. This book is an interdisciplinary and cultural history of the concept of "pharmacy," both the drugs themselves and the trade in medicine, during the Ming and Qing dynasties of early modern China. This was a time of change for traditional Chinese medicine and for Chinese science as a whole. Many historians have argued that sixteenth-century China was a high point of scientific inquiry, followed by a period of intellectual decline. Though political and intellectual shifts led to a crisis of authority over pharmaceutical knowledge in the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries, Bian argues that this period of supposed intellectual decline was in fact characterized by numerous efforts to further refine and spread the pharmacological knowledge amassed in the Ming dynasty. She draws on a wide range of primary sources, but particularly through the study of bencao (pronounced "pen ts'ao"), a genre of encyclopaedic works, often called matteria medica or pharmacopoeia in the West, that collect information on medicinal substances. As the early modern Chinese Empire expanded and print culture became more widespread, the pursuit of medical remedies became a significant commercial enterprise. The author connects theory and practice of pharmacy during the Ming and Qing dynasties to broader developments in intellectual history, book culture, commerce, and taxation"--
A Companion to Chinese History presents a collection of essays offering a comprehensive overview of the latest intellectual developments in the study of China’s history from the ancient past up until the present day. Covers the major trends in the study of Chinese history from antiquity to the present day Considers the latest scholarship of historians working in China and around the world Explores a variety of long-range questions and themes which serves to bridge the conventional divide between China’s traditional and modern eras Addresses China’s connections with other nations and regions and enables non-specialists to make comparisons with their own fields Features discussion of traditional topics and chronological approaches as well as newer themes such as Chinese history in relation to sexuality, national identity, and the environment
Although the history of technological and scientific illustrations is a well-established field in the West, scholarship on the much longer Chinese experience is still undeveloped. This work by Peter Golas is a short, illustrated overview tracing the subject to pre-Han inscriptions but focusing mainly on the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. His main theme is that technological drawings developed in a different way in China from in the West largely because they were made by artists rather than by specialist illustrators or practitioners of technology. He examines the techniques of these artists, their use of painting, woodblock prints and the book, and what their drawings reveal about changing technology in agriculture, industry, architecture, astronomical, military, and other spheres. The text is elegantly written, and the images, about 100 in all, are carefully chosen. This is likely to appeal to both scholars and general readers.
Forewords / Michael Brand, Chen Chi-nan -- Heaven and earth in Chinese art / Yin Cao -- Nature in Chinese philosophy / Karyn Lai -- The workds of art -- Heaven and earth -- Seasons -- Places -- Landscape -- Humanity -- List of works and entries -- Timeline of Chinese dynasties -- Selected bibliography
At the entrance of The Field Museum’s Cyrus Tang Hall of China, two Chinese stone guardian lions stand tall, gazing down intently at approaching visitors. One lion’s paw rests upon a decorated ball symbolizing power, while the other lion cradles a cub. Traditionally believed to possess attributes of strength and protection, statues such as these once stood guard outside imperial buildings, temples, and wealthy homes in China. Now, centuries later, they guard this incredible permanent exhibition. China’s long history is one of the richest and most complex in the known world, and the Cyrus Tang Hall of China offers visitors a wonderful, comprehensive survey of it through some 350 artifacts on display, spanning from the Paleolithic period to present day. Now, with China: Visions through the Ages, anyone can experience the marvels of this exhibition through the book’s beautifully designed and detailed pages. Readers will gain deeper insight into The Field Museum’s important East Asian collections, the exhibition development process, and research on key aspects of China’s fascinating history. This companion book, edited by the exhibition’s own curatorial team, takes readers even deeper into the wonders of the Cyrus Tang Hall of China and enables them to study more closely the objects and themes featured in the show. Mirroring the exhibition’s layout of five galleries, the volume is divided into five sections. The first section focuses on the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods; the second, the Bronze Age, the first dynasties, and early writing; the third, the imperial system and power; the fourth, religion and performance; and the fifth, interregional trade and the Silk Routes. Each section also includes highlights containing brief stories on objects or themes in the hall, such as the famous Lanting Xu rubbing. With chapters from a diverse set of international authors providing greater context and historical background, China: Visions through the Ages is a richly illustrated volume that allows visitors, curious readers, and China scholars alike a chance to have an enduring exchange with the objects featured in the exhibition and with their multifaceted histories.
The first ever children's book based on the design philosophy and architectural details of Beijing, China! This captivating read provides an immersive exploration into a unique city layout. Perfect for children with an interest in design or history, Beijing: A Symmetrical City:· Features gorgeous illustrations in typical Chinese style · Teaches the historical significance of the names and placement of the most important buildings in the city· Provides background on the architect and builders that changed the course of history· Unearths ancient Chinese philosophy behind the city layout, rooted in harmony, balance and order.The layout of Beijing is deeply rooted in the ancient culture of China. Award-winning illustrator, and author Yu Dawu has created captivating images that highlight the little-known symmetry of one of the world's most aesthetically pleasing cities. Children can become mini experts on the historical hub. Each page features "Fun Facts", providing knowledge overlooked not only by tourists, but also many residents of Beijing.
