Back to the Northern Song

An ancient Chinese painting is being showcased in a new way By Li Fangfang

Take a boat into the world of a 1,000 yearold painting and you can not only see how people at the time lived alongside the river upon which you glide, but simultaneously feel the moisture and smell the humidity in the air.

Unfortunately, such an experience is restricted to the virtual reality of the future. Except that it is not. This summer, Beijing residents will get the opportunity to have just such an immersive experience at an exhibition at the Palace Museum, as will overseas audiences in the coming three years.

This is the third part of a highly-interactive exhibition, which seeks to recreate one of China’s national treasures—the painting Life Along the Bian River at the Pure Brightness Festival ( Qingming Shang He Tu). The other three features that complete the installment are an opening show with a contextual introduction to the painting, a multimedia theater space and a creative culture experience area.

With its fine examples of freehand brushwork and elegantly muted pallet of colors, Life Along the Bian River at the Pure Brightness Festival by Zhang Zeduan, an artist who lived toward the end of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), is one of China’s greatest works of art. It gives a panoramic view of Bianjing— Kaifeng City in Henan Province today—the capital of several ancient dynasties including the Northern Song. This painting is one of the most valuable cultural relics among the 1.8 million artifacts in the Palace Museum collection.

Now, with a boat-shaped 360-degree cinema which offers 24 seats, audiences can start their trip along the river in Zhang’s masterpiece.

“The audience can see how people lived along the river as well as experience the gentle movement and spray of the water,” said Zhao Yuyang, project assistant with Phoenix TV Culture Link Development Co. Ltd.