AscendingtheriveronQingmingFestivalisoneofthetenmostfamousChinesepaintingsthatareregardedasanationtreasure,keptinthepalacemuseuminBeijing.Itisatypicalgenrepaintingofthenorthernsongdynastywhichwaspaintedbyafamouspainter—ZhangZeduan.ItportraysthebuildingsanddailylivesofpeopleinthecapitalBianJing,inNorthernSongdynasty.Thefirstpartofthescrollisthebeautifulspringsceneryinthesuburbwhichincludesseveralcottages,bridges,streams,oldtreesandsmallboats.ThispartpresentsthecertaintimeandcustomsofQingmingandmakespreparationforthefollowingpart.ThemiddlepartisthebusywharfofBianriver,thevitalcommunicationlineinsongdynasty.Thethirdpartisthecrowdeddowntownstreetswherethebuildingsarearrangedinorder,includingtearoom,wineshops,hotels,temples,moreover,therearemedicineshops,fortune-tellingbooth,face-liftingboothsandsomeotherboothsthatarebarelyimaginable.Thestreetsarefilledwithvariouspeoplefromvariousprofessions,wearingvariousclothes,doingvariousthings.Thepictureseemsaliveandfullofenergyandvitality,justlikethesceneryisvividlyinoureyes,youcanseethepeoplewalkbyandhearwhattheyaretalkingabout.Throughthebusyandprosperouslifeinthepicture,youcangainasatisfyingandhappyfeeling,andyoumayfeelthatevenindifferenttimeaboutonethousandyearsapartyoucanknowtheirlivesandunderstandwhattheyaredoing.*Theywillneverknowpeopleinfuturewouldappreciatetheminpictureandresearchintotheirlives.Maybeweliveintoday,studyingorworkinghardtofindagoodjobtogetwhatwethinkabetterlife,alltheseintheeyesoffuture’speopleisjustasubjecttostudy,butthevariousinnersour,sweet,bitter,hotfeeling,whowillknow,onlythemselves.Justlikeinthepicture,thepersondrinkingacupofteamayworryabouttheharvestofthisyear,thepersonwhoarespeakingwithotherswithsmilemaybeannoyedanddonotwanttohearwhatthepersonoppositehersaid.Ithinkappreciatingpaintingisaninterestingactivity,especiallytheChinesepaintingswhichpaymoreattentiontothespiritratherthantheform.ZhangZeduanplannedthecompositionofpersons,buildings,transportations,trees,streamssubtly,achievingsenseofthree-dimensionalspace.Furthermore,Hecultivatedeverypersonvividlysotheyhavetheirownactionandspirit.Tosumup,thepaintingAscendingtheriveronQingmingFestivalachievesthegoalthatallChinesepainterspursue—tocapturethespiritaswellastheformofsubjects.Ithasaveryhighhistoricalvalueandartlevel.