On July 19th 2023 , the multilingual website of the Forbidden City Palace Museum- Beijing, China, People’s Republic of Chinawas officially released at the Digital Cultural Tourism Development Forum of the 2023 China Internet Civilization Conference! The website covers five languages: English, French, Russian, Japanese, and Spanish, and will meet the needs of audiences with different languages.
The multilingual website of the Palace Museum is committed to establishing an international website that is concise, clear, easy to use for overseas audiences, and fits the construction of the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, including tour guides, information, panoramic tours, online exhibitions, collection appreciation, cultural topics, etc. Rich immersive content describing of the most detail collection that housed within the Forbidden city collection… .
Emperor Qianlong once wrote a poem praising crape myrtle as “always blooming with light color in summer, and also emitting light fragrance before the wind”, which is fitting.
Crape myrtle has the same pronunciation as the “Emperor Star” Ziweixing. It has been widely planted in the palace since the Tang Dynasty because of its long-lasting flowering period and bright and lovely appearance. It is also called the “official flower” because it refers to Zhongshu Province. The seventh month of the lunar calendar is a time when all the flowers are blooming. “Sunflowers pour into the sun, hostas scratch your head, crape myrtle soaks in the moon, hibiscus blooms…” Hollyhocks, crape myrtles, cockscombs, etc. have all been nominated as moonflowers by literati in different periods. . The crape myrtle flower may not be the most gorgeous and graceful among them, but it is unique because of its freshness and delicateness….
Qing, Leng Mei, Gao Qiu Wan Yue chart axis. Leng Mei was a disciple of Jiao Bingzhen, a court painter of the Kangxi Dynasty. His neat and meticulous brushwork and beautiful colors were highly appreciated by Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong. This picture depicts a scribe climbing a high pavilion and looking at the bright moon. In the lower left corner of the painting, there is Leng Mei’s self-inscription “Writing on the Mid-Autumn Festival in Gengxu”, which shows that the painting was painted during the Mid-Autumn Festival and depicts the scene of admiring the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival. On August 15th, the autumn air is crisp and clear. The moon is not only full and bright, but also the best place to watch. At this time, people look to the moon to remember, or associate the full moon with reunion, hoping for a happy family; or they look to the autumn wind to ask if Chang’e and the Jade Rabbit are well in the moon palace.
Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, Leng Mei, Emperor Qianlong observing the moon. The court painter Leng Mei once painted “Moon Appreciation”, which depicts the scene of elegant scholars looking at the moon in reverie during the fragrance of sweet-scented osmanthus in August. Emperor Qianlong liked this painting very much and ordered Leng Mei to replace the scribe in the original painting with himself, depicting him wearing Hanfu and admiring the moon under the laurel tree with Ruyi in his arms. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, admiring the full moon and looking forward to family reunion are beautiful wishes shared by emperors and common people.
Qianlong, Jinnong, and Yuehua scrolls of the Qing Dynasty. In traditional Chinese culture, the moon is mystical and poetic because of its distance. In ordinary paintings, it often appears as a supplementary scene, but in this painting, Jin Nong directly expresses the moon as the main subject, which can be described as unique. The whole picture is extremely simple, with only a full moon depicted. Within the moon, the author uses light ink to draw the blurry images of jade rabbits pounding medicine and osmanthus trees. Outside the moon, the author uses green, ocher, and yellow as the main colors. Through the overlapping of colors, the bright and bright light of the moon is highlighted, which shows Jin Nong’s extraordinary imagination and bold expressiveness. The inscription on the lower right side of the painting reads, “The picture of the Moonlight is sent to Mr. Shutong for appreciation, the seventy-five-year-old gold farmer”, indicating that it was a gift to a friend.
Qianlong Qing Dynasty, Chen Mei, Yue Man Qingyou Picture Album. Chen Mei, whose courtesy name was Zaidong and whose names were Dianluan and Zhiwotoutuo, was from Lou County (now Songjiang, Shanghai). In the early years of Yongzheng’s reign, he was recommended by the court painter Chen Shan and became a royal painter. His paintings studied the Northern Song Dynasty style and were influenced by the Western painting style of Lang Shining in the court. The images he created were exquisite and nuanced, with strong modeling ability and artistic expression that conveyed the spirit through form. He was deeply appreciated by Emperor Yongzheng and Emperor Qianlong. During the Qianlong Dynasty, Chen Mei drew the “Yueman Qingyou Tu” in accordance with the emperor’s decree. According to the order of the twelfth lunar month in the Chinese lunar calendar, it showed the recreational activities of the beauties in the palace and garden in each month. This picture is the first in the album. It depicts the scene of the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, when beauties ascend to the Qiong Tower to recite poems, admire the moon, and look forward to family reunions.
During the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, Dong Bangda’s “Enjoyable Illustrations of Remaining Things” in Hongli Shu’s Autumn Post Ci Volume (partial). This is a calligraphy and painting scroll with the theme of Mid-Autumn Festival and the emperor and ministers of the Qianlong Dynasty. It begins with the four words “enjoyable things” written by Emperor Qianlong, and also begins with the imperial inscription “Draft a poem for the Mid-Autumn Festival and order the Imperial Academy and others to harmonize it”. Next, Dong Bangda (a Jinshi in the 11th year of Yongzheng’s reign, from Hanlin official to Minister of Rites) painted the Mid-Autumn Festival scene of the Chengde Summer Resort, the imperial palace outside the Great Wall. The bright moon is in the sky, and there are people admiring the moon in a grass pavilion near the river. Some people set up tables to worship the moon, hoping for happiness and contentment. At the end of the volume are poems by Liang Shizheng, Minister of Household Affairs, Qian Chenqun, Minister of Justice, and Emperor Qianlong. For Emperor Qianlong, appreciating the moon was appreciating the heart. Reunion with his family was important, and harmonious relationships with his courtiers were equally important.
Images and visuals are from – Forbidden City –Palace Museum Beijing- China –People’s Republic of China…..
