The Grandeur of the Qing | Asia for Educators
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THE GRANDEUR OF THE QING
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Emperors
Kangxi Emperor
Chart:
The Major Qing Emperors
Sidebar:
Qing Inspection Tours of the Realm
Images:
Two Portraits of the Kangxi Emperor
Qianlong Emperor
Expansion of Territory
Map:
Expansion of Empire under Qing
Creation of a Multiethnic State
Sidebar:
Implications of Multiethnic Qing State on Formation of Chinese Identity
Qianlong as Universal Ruler
Images:
Two Portraits of the Qianlong Emperor
Qianlong as Patron of Arts
Images:
Qianlong as the Bodhisattva Manjusri
State
Four Aspects of Qing Government Impressive to Western Observers
Emperor and the Mandate of Heaven
Sidebar:
French Physiocrats' Admiration of Chinese Imperial System
An Integrated Bureaucracy
Sidebar:
Benefits of Imperial Rule
Examination System for Entry to Government Service
Image:
Posting of the Examination Results
Government of "Elite Commoners"
Sidebar:
Chinese Notion of Political Legitimacy and Implications for the Chinese State Today
Government Bureaucrats with Local and Imperial Orientations
Sidebar:
Emerson, Voltaire, Meadows: Admirers of Chinese Ideas on Government
Qing State Policy is not Monolithic
The Rule of Avoidance and a Vision of Empire
Qing Population Growth and its Effects
Local Magistrate Overwhelmed by Population Growth
Two Qing Innovations:
Tax Policy
Secret Palace Memorial System
Economy
Ming-Qing Economic Dynamism and Foreign Trade
Stereotype of the "Anti-Merchant" Qing State
China as a Vast Continental Market vs. Small States of Europe
Map:
China and Europe in the 19th Century
Qing China's Active Economy with Many Important Markets and Many Commodities
Farming Economy with Proliferation of Markets
Development of Complex Market Structure
Interactive:
Commercial Activity in 18th-century Suzhou
Merchant Hierarchy Evolved
Taxes Paid in Money
Bimetallic Currency and Paper Money
Early Banks and Long-Distance Trade
Sidebar:
Remittance Banks ("Shanxi Banks")
Importance of Trade on Grand Canal
Map:
Grand Canal
Addressing 3 Misconceptions about the Qing Economy
State Control of Economy
Laissez-Faire State?
An Exception: The State Monopoly on the Salt Trade
Hereditary Occupations
Silver in China and the World Economy
Map:
Silver Exchange
Creation of the Canton System in 1760
Art
Schools of Art during the Qing
Sidebar/Image:
The Chinese Literati
The Scholar-Artists
Wang Hui and the Orthodox School of Painting
Chinese Approaches to the Work of Art
Sidebar/Image:
The Qianlong Emperor, Collector & Connoisseur
Personal Expression valued over "Realism"
Importance of Poetry for Artists and Connoisseurs
A Work of Art as a Dialogue with the Past: The Role of Owner and Connoisseur
Representing Space and the External World
European Approaches to Representing Space
Chinese Approaches to Representing Space
Sidebar:
Classifications of Pictorial Space in Chinese Painting
Influence of European Artistic Styles on Chinese Painting
Details page:
Giuseppe Castiglione
Interactive:
Comparison of Kangxi and Qianlong Inspection Tour Scrolls, The Influence of Giuseppe Castiglione and the European Style
Chinese Art in Europe: Porcelain
Image:
Chinese Export Porcelain
Porcelain Production in China
Southern Inspection Tours
Introduction
The Kangxi Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour of 1689, documented by Wang Hui and assistants
Map:
Southern Inspection Tour Routes
The Qianlong Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour of 1751, documented by Xu Yang and assistants
Chart:
Location of all twenty-four Inspection Tour Scrolls
How the Inspection Tour Scrolls were Produced
Viewing the Scrolls in Light of Their Intended Purpose
Sidebar:
Handscrolls in Chinese Art
Sidebar:
Viewing a Handscroll: An Intimate Encounter
Sidebar:
Displaying a Handscroll
Imperial Legitimacy and the Cosmic Order: The Kangxi Emperor's Visit to Mt. Tai
Significance of Mt. Tai as a Pilgimage Site
Significance of the Kangxi Emperor's Visit to Mt. Tai
Interactive:
Kangxi Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour, Scroll 3: Ji'nan to Mt. Tai
The Importance of Controlling the Waters: The Qianlong Emperor's Inspection of Water Control Measures at Huai and Yellow Rivers
Interactive:
Qianlong Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour, Scroll 4: Confluence of Huai and Yellow Rivers
Silk, Commerce, and the Importance of Suzhou and the Grand Canal
Interactive:
Qianlong Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour, Scroll 6: Entering Suzhou Along the Grand Canal
SCROLLS
The Kangxi Emperor's Southern Tour:
Scroll Three
The Kangxi Emperor's Southern Tour:
Scroll Seven
The Qianlong Emperor's Southern Tour:
Scroll Four
The Qianlong Emperor's Southern Tour:
Scroll Six
The Qianlong Emperor's Southern Tour:
Scroll Six—districts detail
Comparing scrolls:
Tiger Hill
Comparing scrolls:
Chang Gate
Comparing scrolls:
Emperor's Arrival
Comparing scrolls:
Silk Commissioner's Residence
Locating Inspection Tour Scrolls
For Teachers
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II. Lesson Plans
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Recording the Grandeur of the Qing
THE SOUTHERN INSPECTION TOUR SCROLLS OF THE KANGXI & QIANLONG EMPERORS
Introduction: What are the Southern Inspection Tour Scrolls?
The Emperors and Water Control
Mt. Tai as a Pilgrimage Site
Silver in China and the World Economy
Commercial Activity on an Eighteenth Century Suzhou Street
Handscrolls in Chinese Art
Chinese and European Approaches to Representing Space
Chinese Literati, Emerson, Voltaire and the French Physiocrats