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Qing Ming Shang He Tu: A Legend Revisited

The original painting by the Song artist Zhang Zeduan depicted life in the capital Bianjing, now Kaifeng in Henan Province of China, in minute detail. Everything was drawn to geometric accuracy and daily life from all strata of society, from rural to urban areas, was captured on the 5.28 meter-long scroll. The painting has been revered throughout history and has been called “China’s Mona Lisa” for its fame.

Now, the prosperous lives of the people of Kaifeng almost nine hundred years ago, are brought back to the present by the digital technology of the 21st century. Changes across nine centuries are no longer dreams of history but become vivid and alive for us to see. Qing Ming Shang He Tu is a great work of art that was produced, treasured, sold, bought, inscribed, robbed, hidden, and confiscated; it disappeared and was found again in a dusty corner of a warehouse. If a work of art has life, then the life of this work is a legend full of suspense and surprise.

According to the relevant records concerning this work, we see the stories behind the painting Qing Ming Shang He Tu. Throughout the centuries, the imperial families, the rich and the powerful, and the scholar-literati were all paying high prices to own this work. The rise and fall of dynasties and the intriguing power struggles became parts of the history of this work.

The work itself, as though with divine protection, endures, enlightens, and enables the connection of past and present. Let’s embark on this wonderful journey!