Eight Views of Xiaoxiang
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The ''Eight Views of Xiaoxiang'' () are scenes of the
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 south of the middle-reaches of the Yangtze River and corresponding, more ...
region, in what is now modern
Hunan Province Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
, that were the subject of the poems and depicted in well-known drawings and paintings from the time of the
Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...
. 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 is part of a long poetic and artistic legacy. One of the earliest extant artistic depictions of the Xiaoxiang region can be found in the renowned painter
Dong Yuan Dong Yuan (, Gan: dung3 ngion4; c. 934 – c. 962) was a Chinese painter. He was born in Zhongling (钟陵; present-day Jinxian County, Jiangxi Province).Cihai: Page 599. Dong Yuan was active in the Southern Tang Kingdom of the Five Dynasties ...
's masterpiece ''Xiao and Xiang Rivers''. The original set of eight painting titles were done by painter, poet, and government official Song Di (c. 1067 – c. 1080), during the reign of Shenzong, in the
Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...
. A complete version of Song Di's ''Eight Views of Xiaoxiang'' has not survived. After its creation in the 11th century, the "
Eight Views The Eight Views (in ; ja, 八景, hakkei and Korean: ) is an East Asian term used to allude to the most beautiful or otherwise significant scenes of a certain area. It is a term often used in East Asia. Historically, various series of eight view ...
" theme became a popular subject for artistry and landscape poetry across the
Sinosphere The East Asian cultural sphere, also known as the Sinosphere, the Sinic world, the Sinitic world, the Chinese cultural sphere, the Chinese character sphere encompasses multiple countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia that were historically ...
. One Japanese variation, ''
Eight Views of Ōmi 8 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 8 or eight may also refer to: Years * AD 8, the eighth year of the AD era * 8 BC, the eighth year before the AD era Art * The Eight (Ashcan School), a group of twentieth century painters associated with the ...
'', became popular in its own right and was a major subject in ''
ukiyo-e Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art which flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock prints and paintings of such subjects as female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes from history and folk ta ...
'' artwork.


The eight scenes

* "The rain at night on the
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 south of the middle-reaches of the Yangtze River and corresponding, more ...
" ( ), in the south (
Xiang River The Xiang River is the chief river of the Lake Dongting drainage system of the middle Yangtze, the largest river in Hunan Province, China. It is the 2nd largest tributary (after Min River) in terms of surface runoff, the 5th largest tribut ...
area) * "The wild geese coming home" ( ), in Yongzhou * "The evening gong at Qingliang Temple" ( ), in
Hengyang Hengyang (; ) is the second largest city of Hunan Province, China. It straddles the Xiang River about south of the provincial capital of Changsha. As of the 2020 Chinese census, Its total population was 6,645,243 inhabitants, whom 1,290,715 l ...
* "The temple in the mountain" ( ), in
Xiangtan Xiangtan () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Hunan province, south-central China. The hometowns of several founding leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, including Chairman Mao Zedong, President Liu Shaoqi, and Marshal Peng Dehuai, a ...
* "The snow in the evening" ( ), on the
Xiang River The Xiang River is the chief river of the Lake Dongting drainage system of the middle Yangtze, the largest river in Hunan Province, China. It is the 2nd largest tributary (after Min River) in terms of surface runoff, the 5th largest tribut ...
in
Changsha Changsha (; ; ; Changshanese pronunciation: (), Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is the capital and the largest city of Hunan Province of China. Changsha is the 17th most populous city in China with a population of over 10 million, and ...
* "The fishing village in the evening glow" ( ), in
Taoyuan County Taoyuan County () is under the administration of Changde, Hunan Province, China. The Yuan River, a tributary of the Yangtze, flows through Taoyuan. It covers an area of 4441 square kilometers, of which is arable land. It is from Zhangjiang To ...
* "The moon in autumn on
Dongting Lake Dongting Lake () is a large, shallow lake in northeastern Hunan Province, China. It is a flood basin of the Yangtze River, so its volume depends on the season. The provinces of Hubei and Hunan are named after their location relative to the l ...
" ( ) * "The sailing ship returning home" ( ), in
Xiangyin Xiangyin County () is a county in Hunan Province, China, it is under the administration of Yueyang City. Located on the southeastern shores of Lake Dongting, the Xiang River runs south to north through the middle lands of the county, the Zi Rive ...
, in the north (of Hunan)


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 Yuan Qu Yuan ( – 278 BCE) was a Chinese poet and politician in the State of Chu during the Warring States period. He is known for his patriotism and contributions to classical poetry and verses, especially through the poems of the '' ...
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 drowned 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 Li Bai (, 701–762), also pronounced as Li Bo, courtesy name Taibai (), was a Chinese poet, acclaimed from his own time to the present as a brilliant and romantic figure who took traditional poetic forms to new heights. He and his friend Du F ...
. The wild goose is one of the hallmark symbols of
Classical Chinese poetry Classical Chinese poetry is traditional Chinese poetry written in Classical Chinese and typified by certain traditional forms, or modes; traditional genres; and connections with particular historical periods, such as the poetry of the Tang dy ...
, 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 may refer to: *the dark force in the yin and yang from traditional Chinese philosophy and medicine *Yīn (surname) (), a Chinese surname *Yǐn (surname) (), a Chinese surname *Shang dynasty, also known as the Yin dynasty **Yinxu or Yin, the S ...
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 Views The Eight Views (in ; ja, 八景, hakkei and Korean: ) is an East Asian term used to allude to the most beautiful or otherwise significant scenes of a certain area. It is a term often used in East Asia. Historically, various series of eight view ...
in China,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
and
Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic ...
, 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 The Princeton University Art Museum (PUAM) is the Princeton University gallery of art, located in Princeton, New Jersey. With a collecting history that began in 1755, the museum was formally established in 1882, and now houses over 113,000 works ...
), 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),''Returning Sails off a Distant Shore'' at Kyoto National Museum Website
/ref> and others.


See also

*
Classical Chinese poetry Classical Chinese poetry is traditional Chinese poetry written in Classical Chinese and typified by certain traditional forms, or modes; traditional genres; and connections with particular historical periods, such as the poetry of the Tang dy ...
*
Eight Views The Eight Views (in ; ja, 八景, hakkei and Korean: ) is an East Asian term used to allude to the most beautiful or otherwise significant scenes of a certain area. It is a term often used in East Asia. Historically, various series of eight view ...
* Eight Views of
Jinzhou (Dalian) Jinzhou District () is one of the seven districts of Dalian, Liaoning province, People's Republic of China. It is located about northeast of the city centre and facing the Bohai Sea to the west as well as the Korea Bay to the east and has a long ...
*
Eight Views of Korea The Eight Views of Korea are a collection of the beautiful scenery of Korea, that are known today and that have been defined in the past. They were defined after the Eight Views of Xiaoxiang of the Song Dynasty of China. General The Eight Views o ...
* Eight Views of
Lushun South Road Lüshun South Road () is one of the three highways connecting the Naval Port in Lüshunkou District of Dalian, Liaoning, China, with the city's downtown core. It is the last part of China National Highway 202, which runs from Hegang to Lüshun via ...
,
Dalian Dalian () is a major sub-provincial port city in Liaoning province, People's Republic of China, and is Liaoning's second largest city (after the provincial capital Shenyang) and the third-most populous city of Northeast China. Located on ...
*
Eight Views of Omi 8 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 8 or eight may also refer to: Years * AD 8, the eighth year of the AD era * 8 BC, the eighth year before the AD era Art * The Eight (Ashcan School), a group of twentieth century painters associated with the ...
( 近江八景 in Japanese), Japan *
Eight Views of Taiwan The Eight Views of Taiwan () have been variously defined throughout Taiwan's history. Qing Dynasty Under Japanese occupation In 1927 (during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan), the newspaper elected the Eight Views of Taiwan according to it ...
*
Geese in Chinese poetry Geese (genus ''Anser'') are an important motif in Chinese poetry. Examples of goose imagery have an important place in Chinese poetry ranging from the ''Shijing'' and the ''Chu Ci'' poets through the poets of Han poetry and later poets of Tang poet ...
*
List of National Treasures of Japan (paintings) The term " National Treasure" has been used in Japan to denote cultural properties since 1897. The definition and the criteria have changed since the inception of the term. These paintings adhere to the current definition, and were designated na ...
*
Shōnan is the name of a region along the coast of Sagami Bay in Kanagawa Prefecture, central Japan. Centered on Sagami River, about 60 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, the Shōnan region stretches from Ninomiya in the west to Fujisawa in the east, i ...
*
Song dynasty poetry A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...
* '' Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji'', series by
Hokusai , known simply as Hokusai, was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period, active as a painter and printmaker. He is best known for the woodblock print series '' Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji'', which includes the iconic print ''The Great W ...
and
Hiroshige Utagawa Hiroshige (, also ; ja, 歌川 広重 ), born Andō Tokutarō (; 1797 – 12 October 1858), was a Japanese ''ukiyo-e'' artist, considered the last great master of that tradition. Hiroshige is best known for his horizontal-format l ...
*
Twelve Views of Bayu Twelve Views of Bayu () are popular scenic views in and around the city of Chongqing, China. Ba and Yu () are old names of Chongqing in Imperial times. Influenced by Eight Views of Xiaoxiang in Hunan Province, people in Chongqing listed their own m ...
*
Xiang River goddesses The Xiangshuishen or Xiang River Goddesses are goddesses (or spirits and sometimes gods) of the Xiang River in Chinese folk religion. The Xiang flowed into Dongting Lake through the ancient kingdom of Chu, whose songs in their worship have been re ...
*
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 south of the middle-reaches of the Yangtze River and corresponding, more ...
*
Xiaoxiang poetry Xiaoxiang poetry is one of the Classical Chinese poetry genres, one which has been practiced for over a thousand years. It is a poetry of scenic wonders, a poetry of officials exiled for their views and beliefs, and a poetry of dissent against sub ...
*
Zhu Changfang Zhu Changfang (), also known as the Jingyi Taoist (; 1608–1646) was the last Prince of Lu () (an area claimed by one source as being near Hangzhou and by another as being centered on Weihui in Henan). Zhu Changfang was a member of the Imperia ...


References


Citations


Sources

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External links

* * ** {{DEFAULTSORT:Eight Views Of Xiaoxiang Chinese paintings