“This painting by a member of the Imperial Painting Academy reconstructs the lost peace and prosperity for posterity”
Zhang Gongyao
The Qingming Shanghe Tu handscroll, a 12th century genre painting by Zhang Zeduan (5.25 meters long, 25.5 centimeters wide), often called the Mona Lisa of China due to its popularity, depicts a timeless day of bustling activity in Bianjing (present day Kaifeng) the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty. It has survived for centuries and has become a cultural ‘time capsule’ of this ancient city, preserving a connection to Chinese culture even to the present day. It has inspired countless replicas and interpretations, as well as animations, novels, thrillers and even a theme park.
The most widely accepted interpretation is that citizens in the scroll are celebrating the Qing Ming Festival (Tomb Sweeping or Pure Brightness) to honor their ancestors.
Although separated by centuries and thousand of kilometers, you will find the same activities and scenes in this ink on silk work of art as you would have in Cheoh Thau Kong before its demolition. There is a continuous, traceable cultural lineage.