Old Beijing: Imperial Impression 老北京的皇城印象[含4P]

靳京

 

Old Beijing: Imperial City Impressions (老北京，皇城印象记)

BEIJING: A rarely seen perspective on the Imperial City will be unveiled in a forthcoming exhibition of images of old Peking from Western eyes at the time. As part of the 4th China Beijing International Cultural and Creative Industry Expo, Imperial City Impression: Old Peking Images in Western Prints reveal valuable insights into the old city during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

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Old Beijing: Imperrial Impression 老北京的皇城印象

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Some of pictures capture various scenes of old Peking reveal the daily lives of residents, imperial activities, celebrations and official meetings of the period.

 

 

Old Beijing: Imperrial Impression 老北京的皇城印象

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Based on different themes, the western prints are divided into four main sections, Imperial Life, Folk Customs, City Scenes and Old Maps.

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The Imperial Life section boasts a multitude of prints, revealing what imperial activities of the late Qing Dynasty were like from a Western perspective. Various royal events, including the marriage of the emperor, rituals of sacrifice, meetings with foreign missions and entertainment activities of the royal family, were captured and will be on display.

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Another work providing a rare insight into the grandeur of Yuan Ming Yuan, or Old Summer Palace, before it burnt to the ground in 1860, is expected to attract much attention. The print reveals the two-story hexangular building painted simply in yellow and red, with several people casually standing around it.

  

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"The whole scene looks so quiet and peaceful in the picture. It's hard to believe that Yuan Ming Yuan was burned to debris shortly afterwards. What a pity!" Shi sighed.

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And also, how much did Old Beijingers as time passed know anything if they knew about what was going on outside Beijing and/or even China? It was very interesting that most of them always thought Beijing as the center of China was the center of the entire world. They shared the imperial spirit, art and peaseful lives without any information and industrial development far away from them at the time , which left China behind other countries thinking to overcome the realm. However, we could tell how easily the people on the street were busy with their daily routines without any sense of how the westerners were coming here for. Were they ready for them?

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According to Shi, Yuan Ming Yuan was once a masterpiece of imperial architecture from the Qing Dynasty. He said that when the print was put on public display in Britain one year after the palace burnt down, people wondered at the delicate decorations and grandeur of the palace.

Old Beijing: Imperial Impression 老北京的皇城印象

  

The Folk Custom section is another highlight of the pictures. Many Western artists captured the lifestyles of both local people and foreigners living in old Peking. Which one was this gate among many in Peking in 1898 as the Old Summer Palace or Yuanmingyuan had been burnt down years before?

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Among these works, one print stands out with its focus on a city moat that was covered in sleds waiting to be ridden during a freezing winter's day. Another print reveals a beautiful spring afternoon in Beihai Park.

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Aside from prints, other items such as old maps, ancient books and a large array of photographs of the city have been added to the foreiners collections, helping to enrich its content and context. Many of the pieces provide excellent reference points for a better appreciation and understanding of the Old eking history.

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Old Beijing: Imperrial Impression 老北京的皇城印象

 

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           According to Han, due to a lack of information at the time, some of the prints do not show what he considers to be the real images of old Peking. Han said that despite this, their documentation value should not be ignored. He added that they serve as items displaying cultural exchange between China and the West over centuries.

"Above all, both Chinese and foreign audiences can definitely identify with their predecessors emotionally when they look beyond the prints," Han said.

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I hope the foreign friends in Beijing and Chinese alike would love the story far beyond what's told here and the Peking natives should tell a lot more then the teller.

这些图片都是洋人绘制的，里边有太多的有关老北京的故事。希望在京的外国友人和中国人都喜欢这段评述，其实在这些图片背后的韵味是远远超出故事本身，老北京们应该比这位“说书人”知道的多得多。。。。