A Brief History of Chinese Painting 3.0Jerry Daperro
A brief history of chinese paintings - 中國美術史
Two approaches to painting arts.
The development of Chinese painting took a different path to that of the West. In this very brief on the Chinese painting, we can see how culture, politics and society had shaped its development. In the West, religion and commissioning system have played a very important part in the history of western painting. Buddhism and Daoism in Chinese had the same kind of influence on Chinese paintings as its Western counterpart. But instead the imperial court and the intelligentsia were more important to the development of Chinese painting.
The two approaches were played to two different audiences. In the West it mainly aimed to the public and hang on palaces. In China paintings were appreciated in private, by individual and more likely to be found in library or private studies.
17 Aug 2016.
The Art of Chinese Painting (Speaker: Vincent Lee Kwun-leung) VincentKwunLeungLee
The Sui Wo Study Centre (瑞禾學社) locates in Tai Wai (大圍), which is administered by a Catholic institution called "Opus Dei" (主業會).
The Sui Wo Study Centre gathers a group of "elite-minded" actual students and alumni from Tak Sun Secondary School (德信中學), KATSO members (天主教同學會成員) from CUHK or other local universities, Spanish and Filippino exchange students who study at the local universities, and Catholic youngsters who grew up from the parishes and secondary schools in Sha Tin or Tai Po District, to jointly practise a professional mode of apostolic lifestyle with a commitment to their favourite occupations in the secular world.
On 8 and 22 February 2014, the Sui Wo Study Centre invited Vincent Lee Kwun-leung (李冠良) to conduct a Chinese art history lecture for the attendees, which corresponded with the festive atmosphere of Chinese New Year celebration.
The Chinese art masters that Vincent Lee selected for his lecture were:
(1) Li Sixun (李思訓) and Zhou Fang (周昉) from Tang Dynasty
(2) Emperor Song Huizhong (宋徽宗) and Cui Bo (崔白) from Song Dynasty
(3) Wang Meng (王蒙) from Yuan Dynasty
(4) Gong Xian (龔賢) from Ming Dynasty
(5) Shi Tao (石濤) from Qing Dynasty
(6) Xu Beihong (徐悲鴻) from Republican Era
(7) Zhang Daqian (張大千) from Communist Era
One of the important highlights was that, Dr. Peter Herbert (B.A., P.G.C.E., Lic. en Fil. y Let., M. Ed., Ph.D.), Principal of Tak Sun Secondary School (德信中學), was one of the attendees to listen to Vincent Lee's in-depth aesthetic interpretations.
A Brief History of Chinese Painting 3.0Jerry Daperro
A brief history of chinese paintings - 中國美術史
Two approaches to painting arts.
The development of Chinese painting took a different path to that of the West. In this very brief on the Chinese painting, we can see how culture, politics and society had shaped its development. In the West, religion and commissioning system have played a very important part in the history of western painting. Buddhism and Daoism in Chinese had the same kind of influence on Chinese paintings as its Western counterpart. But instead the imperial court and the intelligentsia were more important to the development of Chinese painting.
The two approaches were played to two different audiences. In the West it mainly aimed to the public and hang on palaces. In China paintings were appreciated in private, by individual and more likely to be found in library or private studies.
17 Aug 2016.
The Art of Chinese Painting (Speaker: Vincent Lee Kwun-leung) VincentKwunLeungLee
The Sui Wo Study Centre (瑞禾學社) locates in Tai Wai (大圍), which is administered by a Catholic institution called "Opus Dei" (主業會).
The Sui Wo Study Centre gathers a group of "elite-minded" actual students and alumni from Tak Sun Secondary School (德信中學), KATSO members (天主教同學會成員) from CUHK or other local universities, Spanish and Filippino exchange students who study at the local universities, and Catholic youngsters who grew up from the parishes and secondary schools in Sha Tin or Tai Po District, to jointly practise a professional mode of apostolic lifestyle with a commitment to their favourite occupations in the secular world.
On 8 and 22 February 2014, the Sui Wo Study Centre invited Vincent Lee Kwun-leung (李冠良) to conduct a Chinese art history lecture for the attendees, which corresponded with the festive atmosphere of Chinese New Year celebration.
The Chinese art masters that Vincent Lee selected for his lecture were:
(1) Li Sixun (李思訓) and Zhou Fang (周昉) from Tang Dynasty
(2) Emperor Song Huizhong (宋徽宗) and Cui Bo (崔白) from Song Dynasty
(3) Wang Meng (王蒙) from Yuan Dynasty
(4) Gong Xian (龔賢) from Ming Dynasty
(5) Shi Tao (石濤) from Qing Dynasty
(6) Xu Beihong (徐悲鴻) from Republican Era
(7) Zhang Daqian (張大千) from Communist Era
One of the important highlights was that, Dr. Peter Herbert (B.A., P.G.C.E., Lic. en Fil. y Let., M. Ed., Ph.D.), Principal of Tak Sun Secondary School (德信中學), was one of the attendees to listen to Vincent Lee's in-depth aesthetic interpretations.
Origin of Ancient Chinese Imperial Treasure Wilson Orta
It Concerns Chinese Heritage , and All Chinese has a right to vote in future where the treasue should go to .
http://www.slideshare.net/technikvista/imperial-masterpieces-from-taipei-national-palace-museum
Renaissance means rebirth
The renaissance began a period of renewed interest and engagement with “classical” (Ancient Greece and Rome learning, culture, literature, art, style, etc.
Les damos la bienvenida al público en general para que conozcan las consecuencias que trae la bulimia y las causantes del trastorno, este proyecto de Desarrollo Humano III nos permitió al equipo ver más allá que un simple trastorno, las personas padecen de múltiples efectos, entre ellos el cambio de humor repentino, el alimentarse en exceso, acudir al baño para vomitar, verse al espejo constantemente, uso de la báscula diariamente, entre muchas otras. Anahí una actriz y cantante mexicana cayó en esta enfermedad mental y por ello ella cuenta su historia, a continuación se muestra un vídeo complementario de esta presentación para los interesados en conocer más sobre la amiga Mía de mucha gente incluyendo mujeres tanto hombres:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5ifWWnz_JE
Origin of Ancient Chinese Imperial Treasure Wilson Orta
It Concerns Chinese Heritage , and All Chinese has a right to vote in future where the treasue should go to .
http://www.slideshare.net/technikvista/imperial-masterpieces-from-taipei-national-palace-museum
Renaissance means rebirth
The renaissance began a period of renewed interest and engagement with “classical” (Ancient Greece and Rome learning, culture, literature, art, style, etc.
Les damos la bienvenida al público en general para que conozcan las consecuencias que trae la bulimia y las causantes del trastorno, este proyecto de Desarrollo Humano III nos permitió al equipo ver más allá que un simple trastorno, las personas padecen de múltiples efectos, entre ellos el cambio de humor repentino, el alimentarse en exceso, acudir al baño para vomitar, verse al espejo constantemente, uso de la báscula diariamente, entre muchas otras. Anahí una actriz y cantante mexicana cayó en esta enfermedad mental y por ello ella cuenta su historia, a continuación se muestra un vídeo complementario de esta presentación para los interesados en conocer más sobre la amiga Mía de mucha gente incluyendo mujeres tanto hombres:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5ifWWnz_JE
Skab bedre indsigt i dine brugere og få nøglen til succes online
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Un breve repaso por las obligaciones previas a la ejecución de un pozo o sondeo de captación de aguas.
Realizamos una presentación informativa, y ofrecemos los servicios a los promotores que tienen la necesidad.
African log export bans and Chinese timber value chains: Examples from Gabon ...CIFOR-ICRAF
Demand for timber has surged recently, particularly from China, creating investments into the timber industry in Africa. However, weak national forest governance systems exist in the supplier countries.
This presentation covers the log-export ban in both Mozambique and Gabon. With evidence from these two cases supporting the same conclusion: log-export bans are ineffective.
CIFOR Scientist Sigrid Ekman and Anne Terhegen, a representative of ICRAF as our partner on this project presented.
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The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament, and is the first book of the Deuteronomistic history, the story of Israel from the conquest of Canaan to the Babylonian exile.
Exploring the Mindfulness Understanding Its Benefits.pptxMartaLoveguard
Slide 1: Title: Exploring the Mindfulness: Understanding Its Benefits
Slide 2: Introduction to Mindfulness
Mindfulness, defined as the conscious, non-judgmental observation of the present moment, has deep roots in Buddhist meditation practice but has gained significant popularity in the Western world in recent years. In today's society, filled with distractions and constant stimuli, mindfulness offers a valuable tool for regaining inner peace and reconnecting with our true selves. By cultivating mindfulness, we can develop a heightened awareness of our thoughts, feelings, and surroundings, leading to a greater sense of clarity and presence in our daily lives.
Slide 3: Benefits of Mindfulness for Mental Well-being
Practicing mindfulness can help reduce stress and anxiety levels, improving overall quality of life.
Mindfulness increases awareness of our emotions and teaches us to manage them better, leading to improved mood.
Regular mindfulness practice can improve our ability to concentrate and focus our attention on the present moment.
Slide 4: Benefits of Mindfulness for Physical Health
Research has shown that practicing mindfulness can contribute to lowering blood pressure, which is beneficial for heart health.
Regular meditation and mindfulness practice can strengthen the immune system, aiding the body in fighting infections.
Mindfulness may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and obesity by reducing stress and improving overall lifestyle habits.
Slide 5: Impact of Mindfulness on Relationships
Mindfulness can help us better understand others and improve communication, leading to healthier relationships.
By focusing on the present moment and being fully attentive, mindfulness helps build stronger and more authentic connections with others.
Mindfulness teaches us how to be present for others in difficult times, leading to increased compassion and understanding.
Slide 6: Mindfulness Techniques and Practices
Focusing on the breath and mindful breathing can be a simple way to enter a state of mindfulness.
Body scan meditation involves focusing on different parts of the body, paying attention to any sensations and feelings.
Practicing mindful walking and eating involves consciously focusing on each step or bite, with full attention to sensory experiences.
Slide 7: Incorporating Mindfulness into Daily Life
You can practice mindfulness in everyday activities such as washing dishes or taking a walk in the park.
Adding mindfulness practice to daily routines can help increase awareness and presence.
Mindfulness helps us become more aware of our needs and better manage our time, leading to balance and harmony in life.
Slide 8: Summary: Embracing Mindfulness for Full Living
Mindfulness can bring numerous benefits for physical and mental health.
Regular mindfulness practice can help achieve a fuller and more satisfying life.
Mindfulness has the power to change our perspective and way of perceiving the world, leading to deeper se
Lesson 9 - Resisting Temptation Along the Way.pptxCelso Napoleon
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SBs – Sunday Bible School
Adult Bible Lessons 2nd quarter 2024 CPAD
MAGAZINE: THE CAREER THAT IS PROPOSED TO US: The Path of Salvation, Holiness and Perseverance to Reach Heaven
Commentator: Pastor Osiel Gomes
Presentation: Missionary Celso Napoleon
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each chakra is studied in greater detail, several steps have been included to
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A PowerPoint Presentation based on the Dhamma Reflections for the PBHP DYC for the years 1993 – 2012. To motivate and inspire DYC members to keep on practicing the Dhamma and to do the meritorious deed of Dhammaduta work.
The texts are in English.
For the Video with audio narration, comments and texts in English, please check out the Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF2g_43NEa0
HANUMAN STORIES: TIMELESS TEACHINGS FOR TODAY’S WORLDLearnyoga
Hanuman Stories: Timeless Teachings for Today’s World" delves into the inspiring tales of Hanuman, highlighting lessons of devotion, strength, and selfless service that resonate in modern life. These stories illustrate how Hanuman's unwavering faith and courage can guide us through challenges and foster resilience. Through these timeless narratives, readers can find profound wisdom to apply in their daily lives.
What Should be the Christian View of Anime?Joe Muraguri
We will learn what Anime is and see what a Christian should consider before watching anime movies? We will also learn a little bit of Shintoism religion and hentai (the craze of internet pornography today).
The Good News, newsletter for June 2024 is hereNoHo FUMC
Our monthly newsletter is available to read online. We hope you will join us each Sunday in person for our worship service. Make sure to subscribe and follow us on YouTube and social media.
In Jude 17-23 Jude shifts from piling up examples of false teachers from the Old Testament to a series of practical exhortations that flow from apostolic instruction. He preserves for us what may well have been part of the apostolic catechism for the first generation of Christ-followers. In these instructions Jude exhorts the believer to deal with 3 different groups of people: scoffers who are "devoid of the Spirit", believers who have come under the influence of scoffers and believers who are so entrenched in false teaching that they need rescue and pose some real spiritual risk for the rescuer. In all of this Jude emphasizes Jesus' call to rescue straying sheep, leaving the 99 safely behind and pursuing the 1.
3. 89
Government Promotion of the Arts
During the Sung Dynasty, painting was
organized under the auspices of a cen-
tralized Imperial Painting Academy,
and painters were recruited by the new
government from all parts of the
Empire to serve the needs of the imperi-
al court. Over time, the traditions repre-
sented by this group of artists became
what is known today as the Sung acade-
mic manner, “the culmination of cen-
turies of achievement in mastering a
naturalistic, closely descriptive and con-
vincing portrayal of the physical world,”
in the words of Maxwell K. Hearn,
author of the catalogue The Splendors of
Imperial China.
Under the Emperor Hui-tsung
(1101-1125), himself an accomplished
painter and calligrapher, the arts were
developed to the point where they
became the example for all succeeding
academies. Aside from landscape paint-
ing, Hui-tsung’s academicians special-
ized in religious figures, historical nar-
ratives, genre painting, flowers, birds,
and animals, all keenly observed and
meticulously rendered.
Many of the paintings from this peri-
od remind a Western viewer of draw-
ings and watercolors on the same sub-
jects by later, great Western masters,
such as Albrecht Dürer and Leonardo
da Vinci. One of the most beautiful
examples is the hanging scroll “Winter
Play” [SEE front cover, this issue], attrib-
uted to Su Han-ch’en (c.1130-60’s), a
preeminent painter of children at the
Southern Sung court. This painting is
part of a set of hanging scrolls that prob-
ably showed children in each of the four
seasons. The portrayal of a young girl
and her slightly younger playmate, is a
strong indication that children of both
sexes were prized in the imperial world.
The children are depicted at play, bat-
tling a “pretend-dragon” kitten, using,
as their weapon, a banner adorned with
a peacock feather.
The Imperial Painting Academy was
closed during the reign of the first Yüan
emperor, Khubilai Khan (1215-1294),
the grandson of Genghis Khan. Pictorial
representation became introspective,
and realistic representation as a product
of the observation of nature practically
disappeared. The sense of aerial (atmos-
pheric) perspective achieved by the Sung
painters, where the “white” spaces are
not empty, but full of space, was lost.
Compare, for example, such examples of
Sung artistry as “Travelling Amid
Streams and Mountains” of Fan K’uan
(c.980-1050), with the Yüan artist Wang
Meng’s (c.1308-1385) “Forest Chamber
Grotto at Chü-ch’ü,” where the painter
“abandons all suggestion of spatial reces-
sion, and confronts the viewer with a
densely textured wall of rock and water
. . . creating a vision of an enclosed and
sequestered environment that lies out-
side of the real world.”
East and West Unified
A substantial portion of the treasures of
the National Museum derive from the
imperial collections of the Ch’ing
Dynasty (1644-1911).
It was during the Ch’ing Dynasty,
established when the Manchus over-
threw the Ming in 1644, that the Jesuit
missionaries, whose first arrival in
China had been Matteo Ricci in 1581,
fully established themselves at the impe-
rial court. The relations between the
Jesuits and the first emperors of the
Ch’ing Dynasty were such, that Jesuits
shared responsibility for the education
of the prince, along with his classical
Confucian tutors. This prince would
later become the famous emperor K’ang
Hsi, under whom the collaboration
between East and West achieved its
highest level, a collaboration organized,
on its European side, by the great Ger-
man philosopher, Gottfried Leibniz.
The science of Europe’s Golden Renais-
sance, coupled with China’s tradition of
the Twelfth-century Confucian Renais-
sance of the philosopher Chu Hsi,
engendered an era of extraordinary sci-
entific and technological advance.
Under K’ang Hsi, official art workshops
were reestablished in the capital and in
regional centers. The Imperial Kiln
Complex in Ching-te-chuen was rebuilt,
and became a renewed center of porce-
lain production.
One of the exhibit’s finest examples
of East-West collaboration, is the silk
handscroll “One Hundred Horses,” fin-
ished in 1728, which gave birth to a new
style by merging the best pictorial tech-
niques of Europe and China. It was
painted by Giuseppe Castiglione, a
Jesuit missionary, who arrived in China
at the age of twenty-seven. After several
years of work at a glazing workshop,
Castiglione took the Chinese name of
Lang Shih-ning. Upon seeing “One
Hundred Horses” for the first time, the
Emperor Ch’ien-lung named Cas-
tiglione principal court painter. Both
this handscroll, and another one by Cas-
tiglione entitled “Assembled Blessings,”
are made in the traditional technique of
Chinese painting in ink and mineral col-
ors on silk, and the themes are also tra-
ditionally Chinese, but both have a
three-dimensional quality accomplished
by the subtle use of the Western tech-
nique of chiaroscuro, and Renaissance-
developed perspective.Lang Shih-ning (Giuseppe Castiglione), “One Hundred Horses” (detail) (1728).
NationalPalaceMuseum,Taipei,Taiwan,RepublicofChina
4. 90
Minimum and Maximum in Brushwork
Almost all the pieces in paper or silk,
and also some of the bronzes, were
accompanied by calligraphic poems, a
crucial aspect of Chinese painting to be
understood by the West. Confucian
teachings considered writing to be the
moral act of a man who fulfilled his
responsibilities to society as a whole—
past, present, and future—as it was
embodied in the person of the emperor,
in his own family, or in a specific clan.
Writing was also a prerequisite for the
individual to be considered one of the
literati (wen-ren), since, among other
things, the need to memorize the com-
position of thousands of calligraphic
characters and their meanings, required
many years of study. Lifelong dedication
and practice were necessary to be able to
write skillfully.
Each calligraphic character is a com-
position in itself, sometimes requiring as
many as twenty-four brushstrokes.
Aside from being part of the group of
characters, each is an individual entity
with intrinsic value. Chinese calligraphy
has passed through many stages in its
development to the present.
Five masterpieces of calligraphy and
painting on silk and paper from the
T’ang (618-907) and Sung (960-1279)
Dynasties were displayed, including
“Poems Written at Huang-chou on the
Cold Food Festival,” a handscroll by the
most famous poet and callig-
rapher, Su Shih (1037-1101),
and “Bamboo,” by Wen
T’ung (1018-1079), an early
example of a subject that con-
tinues to be a Chinese fa-
vorite. The identity of the
artistic idea in these two works, one
“painting,” the other “calligraphy,” is
evident. Many beautiful examples of cal-
ligraphy from later periods were exhib-
ited, including ones by Shen Chou,
patriarch of the literati in Soochow dur-
ing the Ming Dynasty.
Shen Chou’s sixteen ink and color
works on paper, entitled
“Drawings from Life”
(1494), are a group of cal-
ligraphic paintings,
where the essential char-
acteristics and forms of
the subject are represent-
ed with a minimum of
brushstrokes, but with
total freedom. When the
National Gallery exhibit-
ed some of these draw-
ings in the “Circa 1492”
show in 1992, the public
was able to compare
them with drawings and
watercolors from the
Italian Renaissance. This
time, an exhibition of
works on paper entitled
“Six Artists, Six Cen-
turies,” was also on dis-
play at the museum, so it was again
possible to compare watercolors by
Dürer with these extraordinary Chi-
nese paintings.
Concerning a civilization, five thou-
sand years of continuous existence speak
for themselves. “Splendors of Imperial
China,” and the catalogue volumes
issued to commemorate it, should gener-
ate a true sense of admiration and
respect for a culture and civilization lit-
tle known in the West, but from which
there is a great deal to be learned.
—Ana María Mendoza
Two catalogue volumes have been pub-
lished to commemorate the exhibit. The
full catalogue, “Possessing the Past: Trea-
sures from the National Palace Museum,
Taipei,” by Wen C. Fong and James C.Y.
Wyatt, is 648 pages long, and is priced at
$85. “Splendors of Imperial China: Trea-
sures from the National Palace Museum,
Taipei,” by Maxwell K. Hearn, is a beau-
tiful, shorter (144 page) report of the exhib-
it, priced at $35. Both volumes are pub-
lished by The Metropolitan Museum of
Art, N.Y. and the National Palace Muse-
um, Taipei, and may be available in local
libraries.
Shen Chou, one of sixteen drawings from “Drawings from
Life” (detail) (1494).
Left: Su Shih, “Poems Written at Huang-chou on the
Cold Food Festival” (detail) (1082). Below: Wen
T’ung, “Bamboo” (detail) (c.1070).
NationalPalaceMuseum,Taipei,Taiwan,RepublicofChina
NationalPalaceMuseum,Taipei,Taiwan,RepublicofChina
NationalPalaceMuseum,Taipei,Taiwan,RepublicofChina
5. Rival Museums Retrace Route of
China’s Imperial Treasures
Courtesy of Zhuang Ling
A photograph showing the difficulties the imperial treasures sometimes encountered on the road to their hiding place
By DAVID BARBOZA
Published: July 6, 2010
CHONGQING, China — On a sweltering morning last month, a white-haired guide
trudged up a muddy path, leading a group of scholars toward a bamboo grove on the
outskirts of this western Chinese city. The site, he said, was where a large portion
of China’s imperial treasures were once hidden inside several big wooden sheds.
Slide Show
The Imperial Treasure Route, Then and Now
6. Courtesy of Zhuang Ling
Members of the palace museum staff who helped move the artifacts to Chongqing.
“They were stored right about here,” Hu Changjian, a local museum official, said of the
artifacts, an unparalleled collection of more than a million objects from the Forbidden
City in Beijing, including fine paintings, calligraphy, jade and porcelain dating back
centuries. He added, “We think they dug caves in the hills behind us to store some of the
treasures.”
Photographers and documentary filmmakers traveling with the group of scholars
recorded the scene, as the scholars, clutching notepads, scampered up a hill in search of
caves.
The scholars, from mainland China and Taiwan, were taking part in an extraordinary
two-week research project, retracing the routes taken by the imperial treasures in the
1930s and 1940s, when they were being safeguarded from the ravages of civil war and
Japanese aggression, not to mention floods, bandits and warlords.
The project is extraordinary because it was organized by rival museums, the Palace
Museum of Beijing and theNational Palace Museum in Taiwan, each of which claims to
be the rightful home of the artifacts.
The original Palace Museum in Beijing was split in two — its staff as well as its collection
— in 1949, when the Nationalist government fell to the Communists and retreated to the
island of Taiwan with thousands of supporters and a huge cargo of museum pieces.
For decades there has been debate about ownership of the divided treasures. But in
recent years the two museums have begun to collaborate on exhibitions in a stunning
show of cross-Strait cooperation. On the scholars’ journey this summer, the talk was not
of unification but of shared history and of a common desire to understand the
remarkable events that both preserved the treasures and eventually led to their division.
“We had a rough idea of how things happened, but we didn’t know the details,” said Li
Wenru, deputy director at the Palace Museum in Beijing. “But we knew it was a miracle
7. that in wartime over a million treasures were moved 10,000 kilometers, on roads, in
water, by air, and nothing was lost.”
The museum staff members who protected the artifacts on that 16-year odyssey, hiding
them in bunkers, caves, temples, warehouses and even private homes, have all died. But
some of their children were invited to participate in this year’s trip.
Zhuang Ling, 72, says his father, who had been a cataloger of the collection, was one of
the staff members charged with guarding the imperial treasures. He recalls living and
traveling with them as a child, in the mountains outside Chongqing.
“When the weather was good, they’d bring the paintings, calligraphy and books outside
to give them some fresh air because it was too humid inside,” he said. “I could even see
some of the landscape paintings.”
The collection was put together by emperors, mostly in the centuries between the Song
dynasty (960-1276) and the brief reign of Pu Yi, China’s last emperor, at the end of the
Qing dynasty (1644-1911). After the Qing fell, the imperial family kept the treasures. (In
1913 the family offered to sell them to the American industrialist and collector J. P.
Morgan for $4 million; Morgan died shortly after his staff received the telegrams.)
In 1924 the state expelled the imperial family from the Forbidden City, declared the
collection national property and made it the foundation of a new Palace Museum.
But after Japan invaded north China in 1931 and threatened to move toward Beijing, the
government, fearing the artifacts might be destroyed or carted off to Japan, shipped
them, in more than 19,000 wooden crates, south to Nanjing, the new capital, in early
1933. Then, just days before the Japanese destroyed Nanjing in 1937, they were divided
into three groups and sent into hiding along three separate routes. Some of the most
valuable objects ended up here in Chongqing, the wartime capital.
Last month this humid, mountainous city was the seventh stop for the Chinese and
Taiwanese scholars. They crowded into a rusted bank vault where some of the artifacts
had been stored (it now houses sewing machines); visited the old central library, which
had exhibited some of the treasures during the war; and trekked up to a warehouse that
had been deemed safe for the treasures, they were told, because it was adjacent to a
Buddhist temple and so unlikely to be attacked by Japanese forces.
Mr. Hu, the Chongqing guide, added new details to the record, even as he confessed to
having discovered only three of the four storage rooms at the warehouse site. Minutes
later Mr. Li, from the Beijing museum, followed a railroad track up a hill and discovered
what appeared to be the fourth warehouse space.
8. After Japan surrendered in 1945, the treasures returned to Nanjing. But the journey was
not over. Civil war between the Nationalist government and the Communists, which had
begun in the 1920s and abated during the Japanese occupation, resumed. In 1948, with
the Communists routing government forces in the north, Chiang Kai-shek, head of the
Nationalists, ordered the most valuable treasures shipped to Taiwan, along with much of
the nation’s gold supply.
“The majority of the paintings from the imperial collection moved to Taiwan,” said
Alfreda Murck, an authority on Chinese art at the Palace Museum in Beijing, though only
about 20 percent of the collection made its way there. “They chose very well,” she added.
Chiang’s decision divided more than just the collection. Liang Jinsheng, 62, said his
father and grandfather helped protect the treasures in the 1930s and ’40s. But after the
war, Mr. Liang’s brother and grandfather accompanied some of the treasures to Taiwan
while Mr. Liang’s father stayed behind in China, following another part of the collection
back to Beijing.
“This trip made me realize how much my parents’ generation did,” said Mr. Liang, who
catalogs artifacts at the Beijing museum and is a fifth-generation staff member there.
In Taiwan the treasures were stored in a cave for years, out of fear that the Communists
might invade or bomb the island; only in 1965 did the National Palace Museum of Taipei
open. In Beijing, meanwhile, the Palace Museum had few visitors in the 1950s and ’60s.
But the treasures had enormous symbolic value in both places.
David Shambaugh, who with Jeannette Shambaugh Elliott wrote “The Odyssey of
China’s Imperial Art Treasures,” said Chinese leaders had long viewed them as a means
of validating their power, even under Communism. During the Cultural Revolution,
when Red Guards tried to destroy anything associated with tradition, Mao ordered the
museum protected.
“Every successive regime used the collection to legitimize themselves with elites,” said
Professor Shambaugh, a China scholar at George Washington University. “Mao and the
Communists saw themselves as the inheritors of 5,000 years of history.”
There has been no dialogue between the two museums about whether the treasures
should be unified in one location, officials of both institutions say. And in Chongqing and
elsewhere on the trip, the subject of ownership was carefully avoided. “There’s only one”
palace museum, said Mr. Li of the Beijing museum, in that “the two are one.”
And Chu Huiliang of Taipei said, “Both sides don’t talk about this issue because we’re not
the ones who can resolve it.”
9. The museum officials insisted that it wasn’t important where the treasures were kept,
only that they were preserved. The two museums are teaming up for a joint exhibition in
Beijing later this year, about their travels following the route of the imperial treasures.
And in July 2011 they plan to hold a joint exhibition in Taipei, joining two parts of an
ancient painting from the Yuan dynasty that was divided when the Nationalists fled.
Still, for the moment, the Taipei museum has no plans to send any of its objects to
Beijing, and is unlikely to do so until the Beijing government formally agrees that it will
not seize artifacts lent by Taiwan. As hopeful as the new cooperation is, museum officials
on both sides acknowledge, it has its limits
With Compliments : the New York Times
Amblem of Wealth
Puyi was last remembered in the Movie ; “The Last Emperor ” directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
, which grossed over USD 43,984,230 in Box office .
During the course before he was evicted from the imperial palace ,the Last Emperor of
China, described how his last few loyalties and eunuchs would settle their severance pensions
on their own by smuggling invaluable artifacts collected by his ancestors of the Qing dynasty for
sale. Although many have been stolen , lost but yet there are glimpse of hope as truly ,not
all are lost , as a massive 696,000 of these artifacts had actually been moved to Taiwan
secretly just after the Cultural Revolution period in China
In 2011 ,while the media were busy reporting on the lucky mystical powers of the “Tibetan
Dragon Sutra” which had been released for public viewing in year 2011 in Taiwan , not many
has remembered why and how did such a huge collection of artifacts had landed in Taiwan
. The "Dragon's Sutras, Tibetan language edition" was once housed in the Buddha Hall of the
Cining Palace inside the Forbidden City. Buddhists believe that someone who has the chance to
read the entire compilation would be blessed for seven generations of good luck