Along the Scenic Route /南/ Au Fil de l'Eau: The Kangxi Emperor's Southern Tour /南/ / Le Voyage de l'Empereur Kangxi En Chine Méridionale

By Chueh

In 1684, the Kangxi Emperor began a series of inspection tours of southern China to better understand the people and ease political tensions. These journeys were meticulously documented by a team of painters led by renowned artist Wang Hui in twelve oversized handscrolls. At once historical documents and works of early Qing imperial art, these scrolls represent the first instances of a quintessential style of collective Chinese painting. This book places two scrolls from this era side by side: the rarely displayed but much-revered seventh scroll in the southern tour series, showing the emperor's 1689 tour from Wuxi to Suzhou; and one of Wang's smaller paintings showing the Jinshan Temple. Published here for the first time in their entirety, these enchanting paintings offer remarkable insights into the landscapes, architecture, art, and daily life in 17th-century imperial China.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1772129127
• ISBN13: 9781772129120
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: University of Alberta Press
• Length: 176 Pages
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher