Zhang Zeduan (Traditional: 張擇端; Simplified: 张择端; pinyin: Zhāng Zéduān; Wade-Giles: Chang Tse-tuan) was a Chinese painter. He lived during the twelfth century, during the transitional period from the Northern Song to the Southern Song Dynasty. There is evidence that he was a court painter of the Northern Song Dynasty, and that in ther aftermath of that dynasty's fall, his paintings were criticisms of the new dynasty. Most of what is known about Zhang Zeduan's life comes from a colophon by a man named Zhang Zhu written in 1186. Traditional Chinese characters are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ... Simplified Chinese characters (Simplified Chinese: 简体字; Traditional Chinese: 簡體字; pinyin: jiÇŽntǐzì; also called 简化字/簡化字, jiÇŽnhuàzì) are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ... Pinyin (拼音, pÄ«nyÄ«n) literally means join (together) sounds (a less literal translation being phoneticize, spell or transcription) in Chinese and usually refers to HànyÇ” PÄ«nyÄ«n (汉语拼音, literal meaning: Han language pinyin), which is a system of romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration to roman script) for Standard Mandarin. ... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ... Chinese painting is a form of Chinese art. ... Alternative meaning: Song Dynasty (420-479) The Song dynasty (Chinese: 宋朝) was a ruling dynasty in China from 960-1279. ... Alternative meaning: Song Dynasty (420-479) The Song dynasty (Chinese: 宋朝) was a ruling dynasty in China from 960-1279. ... Events John the Chanter becomes Bishop of Exeter. ...

The Qingming handscroll

Zhang Zeduan's most famous painting is the Qingming Shanghe Tu (清明上何圖 qīng míng shàng hé tú). It is a very wide (around 30 feet) handscroll which depicts a city. The translation of its title is disputed; as the word "Qingming" can refer to either the Qingming Festival or to peace and order, two translations have been proposed by scholars: Going Upriver on the Qingming Festival or Peace Reigns Over the River. The Qingming Festival or Qing Ming Jie (Chinese: 清明節; English name used in Hong Kong: Ching Ming Festival; pinyin: qÄ«ng míng jié), literally Pure Brightness Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival on the 106th day after the winter solstice, occurring on April 4 (leap years) or April 5 (other...

Traditionally, three things have been believed about the painting:

• The city depicted is Kaifeng.
• It was painted before the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty in 1127.
• It depicts the Qingming Festival.

More recent scholarship challenges all three of those assertions: Kaifeng (Simplified Chinese: 开封; Traditional Chinese: 開封; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kai-feng), formerly Daliang (大梁), is a city in the Henan province of the Peoples Republic of China, located along the Huang He, 70 km from Zhengzhou, the provincial capital. ... Events Conrad III establishes the Hohenstaufen dynasty when he is crowned antiking to the Holy Roman Emperor, Lothar II. First coalition of the Norman princes against Roger II of Sicily. ...

• The city depicted is an idealized non-existent city.
• It was painted after the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty in 1127.
• It depicts a scene in early fall.

Autumn colours at Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire, England. ...

Reference

• Valerie Hansen, "The Mystery of the Qingming Scroll and Its Subject: The Case Against Kaifeng," Journal of Sung-Yuan Studies 26 (1996), 183-200.