Eight Views of Xiaoxiang
Encyclopedia
The Eight Views of Xiaoxiang (in or ) are beautiful scenes of the Xiaoxiang
region, in what is now modern Hunan Province, China
, as having been written in the poems, depicted in the pictures and known among the people, from the time of the Song Dynasty
. The Eight Views of Xiaoxiang can refer either to various sets of paintings which have been done on this theme, the various verse series on the same theme, or to combinations of both. The Xiaoxiang theme should be viewed as part of a long poetic and artistic legacy.
Among the earliest extant artistic depiction of the Xiaoxiang region can be found in the renowned painter Dong Yuan
's masterpiece Xiao and Xiang Rivers. The original set of eight painting titles were done by painter, poet, and government official Song Di (ca. 1067 - ca. 1080), during the reign of Shenzong
, in the Song Dynasty
. His work has not survived.
, published around 1090:
in this region and to the poetry which he wrote about it. "Level Sand" may be seen as a reference to Qu Yuan because the Chinese character for level, Píng, was his given name (Yuan was a courtesy name). Furthermore, due to his having drown himself in one of the often sandy rivers of this region to protest his unjust exile, Qu Yuan was often referred to in poetry as "Embracing Sand", for instance by Li Bo. The wild goose is one of the hallmark symbols of Classical Chinese poetry
, with various connotations: the descent of the goose or geese, combined with the descent to the level sand, signifies that the geese are flying south, the season is Autumn, and the forces of Yin
are on the rise (thus adding to the involved symbolism).
in China, Japan
and Korea
, as well as series of other numbers of scenes.
In China various versions of The Eight Views of Xiaoxiang have been inspired by the original series, as well as inspiring other series of eight scenes. The Eight Views of Xiaoxiang became a favorite theme of Buddhist monks.
Works covering the Eight Views include a set of paintings by Wang Hong (in the Princeton University Art Museum), now thought to be the earliest surviving depiction of the Eight Views, a set of paintings attributed to Mu Qi (parts in the Kyoto National Museum), and others.
Xiaoxiang
Xiaoxiang , also transliterated XiaoXiang. Hsiao Hsiang, and Chiu Chiang, in some older sources, refers to the "lakes and rivers" region in south central China, more-or-less corresponding with Hunan, China, south of the middle-reaches of the Yangzi River. Xiaoxiang is less a precise geographic...
region, in what is now modern Hunan Province, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, as having been written in the poems, depicted in the pictures and known among the people, from the time of the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
. The Eight Views of Xiaoxiang can refer either to various sets of paintings which have been done on this theme, the various verse series on the same theme, or to combinations of both. The Xiaoxiang theme should be viewed as part of a long poetic and artistic legacy.
Among the earliest extant artistic depiction of the Xiaoxiang region can be found in the renowned painter Dong Yuan
Dong Yuan
Dong Yuan was a Chinese painter.He was born in Zhongling . Dong Yuan was active in the Southern Tang Kingdom of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period...
's masterpiece Xiao and Xiang Rivers. The original set of eight painting titles were done by painter, poet, and government official Song Di (ca. 1067 - ca. 1080), during the reign of Shenzong
Shenzong
Shenzong is the temple name of several Chinese, Korean or Vietnamese emperors. It may refer to:* Emperor Shenzong of Song China * Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty * Emperor Shenzong of Western Xia...
, in the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
. His work has not survived.
A modern list, with geographic annotations
- The rain at night on the Xiao River , in the south
- The wild geese coming home (平沙落雁), in YongzhouYongzhouYongzhou is a prefecture-level city in the Hunan province of China.YongZhou is located in the central and south of China, on the southern side of Xiang River, which is formed by the confluence of the Xiao and Xiang rivers. Yongzhou is one of the four ancient counties in Hunan; it is 2000 years old...
- The evening gong at Qingliang Temple (烟寺晚钟), in HengyangHengyangHengyang is the second largest city of China's Hunan Province. It straddles the Xiang River about 160 km south of Changsha.-History:Its former name was Hengzhou . This was the capital of a prefecture in the Tang Dynasty's Jiangnan and West Jiangnan circuits...
- The temple in the mountain (山市晴岚), in XiangtanXiangtanXiangtan is a city in China's Hunan Province that is located on the lower reaches of Xiang river. The hometowns of several founding leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, including Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, and Peng Dehuai are in the Xiangtan Municipal District, as well as the hometowns of Qing...
- The snow in the evening (江天暮雪), on the Xiang RiverXiang RiverThe Xiang River , in older transliterations as the Siang River or Hsiang River, is a river in southern China...
in Changsha - The fishing village in the evening glow (渔村夕照), in Taoyuan CountyTaoyuan County, HunanTaoyuan County is located in Changde, Hunan Province of the People's Republic of China. The Yuanjiang river, a tributary of Yangtze, flows through Taoyuan. Taoyuan covers 4441 square kilometer area, among which the arable land is 895 square kilometers...
- The moon in autumn on Dongting LakeDongting LakeDongting Lake, or Lake Dongting is a large, shallow lake in northeastern Hunan province, China. It is a flood basin of the Yangtze River . Hence the lake's size depends on the season...
(洞庭秋月) - The sailing ship returning home (远浦归帆), in Xiangyin, in the north
The earliest and most reliable list
This list is from the one by Shen Gua , in his Dream Pool EssaysDream Pool Essays
The Dream Pool Essays was an extensive book written by the polymath Chinese scientist and statesman Shen Kuo by 1088 AD, during the Song Dynasty of China...
, published around 1090:
- Level Sand: Wild Geese Descend (平沙雁落)
- From the Far Shore: Sailboat(s) Returning Home (遠浦帆歸)
- Mountain Market: Clearing Mist (山市晴嵐)
- River and Sky: Sunset Snow (江天暮雪)
- Dongting Lake: The Autumn Moon (洞庭秋月)
- Xiao Xiang: Night Rain (瀟湘夜雨)
- Misty Temple: Evening Bell (煙寺晚鍾)
- Fishing Village: Evening Glow (漁村夕照)
Symbolism
The Eight Views of Xiaoxiang is thematically part of a greater tradition. Generally, it is a theme that as artistically rendered in painting and poetry tends towards the expression of an underlying deep symbolism, such as exile and enlightenment. Furthermore, each scene generally expresses certain, sometimes subtle references. For instance Level Sand: Wild Geese Descend may refer to the historical exile of Qu YuanQu Yuan
Qu Yuan was a Chinese poet who lived during the Warring States Period in ancient China. He is famous for his contributions to the poetry collection known as the Chu-ci...
in this region and to the poetry which he wrote about it. "Level Sand" may be seen as a reference to Qu Yuan because the Chinese character for level, Píng, was his given name (Yuan was a courtesy name). Furthermore, due to his having drown himself in one of the often sandy rivers of this region to protest his unjust exile, Qu Yuan was often referred to in poetry as "Embracing Sand", for instance by Li Bo. The wild goose is one of the hallmark symbols of Classical Chinese poetry
Classical Chinese poetry
thumb|right|300px|Attributed to [[Han Gan]], Huiyebai , about 750CE .Classical Chinese poetry is that type of poetry that is the traditional Chinese poetry written in Classical Chinese. It is typified by certain traditional forms, or modes, and certain traditional genres...
, with various connotations: the descent of the goose or geese, combined with the descent to the level sand, signifies that the geese are flying south, the season is Autumn, and the forces of Yin
Yin
Yin may refer to:*Yin, the dark force opposing yang in traditional Chinese philosophy and medicine*Yin , a rare Chinese surname claimed to be descendents from the dynasty above....
are on the rise (thus adding to the involved symbolism).
Influence
The Eight Views of Xiaoxiang inspired the people of Far East to create other Eight ViewsEight Views
The Eight Views are the most beautiful or otherwise significant scenes of a certain area, a term often used in China, Japan and Korea...
in China, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, as well as series of other numbers of scenes.
In China various versions of The Eight Views of Xiaoxiang have been inspired by the original series, as well as inspiring other series of eight scenes. The Eight Views of Xiaoxiang became a favorite theme of Buddhist monks.
Works covering the Eight Views include a set of paintings by Wang Hong (in the Princeton University Art Museum), now thought to be the earliest surviving depiction of the Eight Views, a set of paintings attributed to Mu Qi (parts in the Kyoto National Museum), and others.
See also
- XiaoxiangXiaoxiangXiaoxiang , also transliterated XiaoXiang. Hsiao Hsiang, and Chiu Chiang, in some older sources, refers to the "lakes and rivers" region in south central China, more-or-less corresponding with Hunan, China, south of the middle-reaches of the Yangzi River. Xiaoxiang is less a precise geographic...
- Eight ViewsEight ViewsThe Eight Views are the most beautiful or otherwise significant scenes of a certain area, a term often used in China, Japan and Korea...
- Eight Views of TaiwanEight Views of TaiwanThe Eight Views of Taiwan have been talked about at different times in Taiwan's history.-Under Japanese Rule:In 1927, the Japanese New Daily Newspaper reported the Eight Views of Taiwan as:...
- Eight Views of Jinzhou (Dalian)Jinzhou (Dalian)Jinzhou District is one of the six districts of Dalian, Liaoning, China. It is located about northeast of the city centre and facing the Bohai Sea to the west and has a longer history than Dalian itself, and used to be a thriving walled city where the officials of this area were dispatched from...
- Eight Views of Lushun South RoadLushun South RoadLushun South Road is one of the three highways connecting the Nsval Port in Lushun, Dalian City, Liaoning Province, China, with downtoan Dalian. It is the last part of China National Highway 202, which runs from Hegang to Lushun via Jiamusi, Tonghua and Dandong, and is about 32 kilometers long...
, DalianDalianDalian is a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning province, Northeast China. It faces Shandong to the south, the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west and south. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, Dalian is the southernmost city of Northeast China and China's... - Eight Views of OmiEight Views of OmiThe Eight Views of Omi are the most scenic views of Omi Province, the present-day Shiga Prefecture, Japan. They were inspired by the Eight Views of Xiaoxiang in China...
(近江八景 in Japanese), Japan - Eight Views of Korea
- Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, by HokusaiHokusaiwas a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. He was influenced by such painters as Sesshu, and other styles of Chinese painting...
and HiroshigeHiroshigewas a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, and one of the last great artists in that tradition. He was also referred to as Andō Hiroshige and by the art name of Ichiyūsai Hiroshige .... - Song Dynasty poetrySong poetrySong poetry refers to Classical Chinese poetry of or typical of the Song Dynasty of China . This dynasty is sometimes referred to as the "Sung Dynasty", especially in older sources). It was established by the Zhao family in China in 960 and lasted until 1279...
- Classical Chinese poetryClassical Chinese poetrythumb|right|300px|Attributed to [[Han Gan]], Huiyebai , about 750CE .Classical Chinese poetry is that type of poetry that is the traditional Chinese poetry written in Classical Chinese. It is typified by certain traditional forms, or modes, and certain traditional genres...
External links
- Eight Views of Xiaoxiang (in Chinese)