Along the River During the Ching-ming Festival

In the period of I went back to Taiwan, I went to so many place for research including Taiwan National Central Library, Huashan Creative Park (the factory), National Palace Museum and The Lin Family Mansion & Gardon.

After I went to Taiwan National Central Library and Huashan Creative Park, I decided to change the story and location. So since then, I started to focus my research on Chinese garden and Song dynasty (960-1279). Song dynasty was the background of The Peony Pavilion. Ming-chu Lee stated that as a designer, we should know about history because drama was relative to people, history and culture. So I watched many objects of Song dynasty in National Palace Museum. 

The painting I liked most was "Along the River During the Ching-ming Festival". Below is the introduction of the painting: 

Along the River During the Ch'ing-ming Festival Court painters, Ch'ing Dynasty (1644-1911) Handscroll, ink and colors on silk, 35.6 x 1152.8 cm The original upon which this work is based, by Chang Tse-tuan (active early 12th century),  is a masterful unfolding of Sung dynasty life and customs at the capital of Pien (K'ai-feng) in  a long handscroll format. This theme, popular in the Northern Sung (960-1126), has been  copied often throughout the ages. There are seven versions alone in the National Palace  Museum, and this one by court painters of the imperial painting academy under the Ch'ien-lung  Emperor (reigned 1736-1795) is one of the most famous. Each version reflects not only the  painting style but also life and appearances of the period it was made. This version represents a collaboration by five court painters (Ch'en Mei, Sun Hu, Chih K'un, Tai Hung, and Ch'en Chih-tao) and was finished in 1736. It can be said to be a copy that combines the style and features of previous versions along with unique customs of the Ming and Ch'ing, such as the forms of entertainment popular at the time. The lively activities include a theatrical performance, monkey show, acrobatics, and a martial arts ring to lend a festive air to the scenery. Brilliantly colored and characterized by sure, fine brushwork, this represents a fine example of Ch'ing court painting. Although this handscroll has lost much of the archaic feel of the Sung dynasty version, it is a valuable source of information for late Ming and early Ch'ing life and customs. The style also reflects the influence of Western painting techniques, popular at the court then. The buildings and streets, for example, were rendered with Western-style perspective, and even some Western-influenced architecture appears. The bridge and buildings are depicted in the ruled-line method ("chieh-hua"), and the figures are also exquisitely detailed.

from: http://www.npm.gov.tw/en/collection/selections_02.htm?docno=90&catno=15&pageno=5

Although it was not the original one. (The original one is in Beijing.) But I still could observe the life of Song Dynasty via this painting. Thus, I bought a DVD and a book.    

The original painting is so long. If no guide to introduce it for me, it's hard to see the interesting parts. 

The city they drew was "Bianjing" which was the capital city of North Song dynasty. It believed that Bianjing was the most prosperous city in the earth at taht time. In this painting we can see all of people's life from the nobles to the folks. 

The book separated this painting into 8 parts: 

1. The Rainbow Bridge Marketplace 

    -- like a market nowadays including vendors and stores.

  

2. Forms of Expression in Shop Signs

    -- The clinic and the restaurant. 

3. Modes of Transport on Land and Water

4. Dazzling Scenes of City Life

    -- The buildings belong to folks were simple colours and usually one floor.

       The buildings belong to nobles were vivid colours and high. 

5. By the Stores of Lake Jinming 

   

6. The well of City Life

    -- The wadding.  The homeless asked money. 

7. From the Annals of Drama

8. The Elegant Gatherings of Literati

Compared to nowadays,people's life basically the same. But I noticed that actually there were seldom female figures in this painting because in ancient Chinese, women didn't have much freedom. I think women's life changed the most.