This famous painting by Zhang Zeduan has been my childhood favourite since I saw the “Qing Court Version”1, one of several copies that existed, in Taipei’s Palace Museum when I was 10.
“Along the River During the Qingming Festival”, Original by Zhang Zeduan (1085-1145) 张择端《清明上河图》故宫藏版
Ink and colour on silk | Northern Song dynasty (960-1127) | Dimensions : 28.2 x 528.7 cm | The Palace Museum collection. 绢本，淡设色 | 北宋（公元960-1127年）｜纵24.8厘米，横528厘米｜北京故宫博物院藏
The original painting2 is celebrated as the most famed work of art from the Song dynasty. However, little was directly known about its painter, who is generally presumed to be Zhang Zeduan 张择端 (1085-1145), since many written records were destroyed when the Jin dynasty overthrew the Northern Song dynasty in 1127.3
The countryside and the densely populated city are the two main sections in the picture, with the river meandering through the entire length. The right section is the rural area of the city. There are crop fields and unhurried rural folk—predominately farmers, goatherds, and pig herders—in bucolic scenery. A country path broadens into a road and joins with the city road.
The left half is the urban area, which eventually leads into the city proper with the gates. Many economic activities, such as people loading cargoes onto the boat, shops, and even a tax office, can be seen in this area. People from all walks of life are depicted: pedlars, jugglers, actors, paupers begging, monks asking for alms, fortune tellers and seers, doctors, innkeepers, teachers, millers, metalworkers, carpenters, masons, and official scholars from all ranks.
Outside the city proper (separated by the gate to the left), there are businesses of all kinds, selling wine, grain, secondhand goods, cookware, bows and arrows, lanterns, musical instruments, gold and silver, ornaments, dyed fabrics, paintings, medicine, needles, and artifacts, as well as many restaurants. The vendors all along the great bridge, called the Rainbow Bridge (虹橋 Hong Qiao) or, more rarely, the Shangdu Bridge (上土橋).
Where the great bridge crosses the river is the centre and main focus of the scroll. A great commotion animates the people on the bridge. A boat approaches at an awkward angle with its tow-mast not completely lowered, threatening to crash into the bridge. The crowds on the bridge and along the riverside are shouting and gesturing toward the boat. Someone near the apex of the bridge lowers a rope to the outstretched arms of the crew below. In addition to the shops and diners, there are inns, temples, private residences, and official buildings varying in grandeur and style, from huts to mansions with grand front- and backyards.
The bridge scene where the crew of a boat are in danger of losing control in the current and crashing into nearby boats. 
The bridge scene where the crew of a boat are in danger of losing control in the current and crashing into nearby boats. 
The bridge scene where the crew of a boat are in danger of losing control in the current and crashing into nearby boats.
People and commodities are transported by various modes: wheeled wagons, beasts of labour (in particular, a large number of donkeys and mules), sedan chairs, and chariots. The river is packed with fishing boats and passenger-carrying ferries, with men at the river bank, pulling the larger ships.
Over the centuries, the Song original was kept in private collections before it eventually returned to public ownership. The painting was a particular favourite of Puyi (r. 1908-1912), the last emperor of China, who took it with him when he was forced to leave the Forbidden City in 1924. It was recovered in 1945 and kept at the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City.
Zhang Zeduan, “Simplified Version of Qingming Painting” (Partial) 張擇端《清明易簡圖》
Handscroll, ink and colour on silk | Northern Song (?) (960-1127) | Zhang Zeduan (1085-1145) | 38×673.4 cm | National Palace Museum collection. 畫卷｜（傳）張擇端｜北宋（公元960-1127年）｜尺寸：38×673.4 cm｜台北故宮博物院藏4
All subsequent versions were either based on the original or later versions that were passed down. There’s another Zhang Zeduan version with NPM that was highly colourised but its origin was questioned. 5
“Along the River During the Qingming Festival” (Qing Court Version) 《清院本清明上河圖》 (1736, partial)
Handscroll, ink and colour on silk (1736) | 18th-century remake by the collaborative effort of the Qing court artists Chen Mei (1694-1745), Sun Hu, Jin Kun, Dai Hong, and Cheng Zhidao | 35.6×1152.8 cm | National Palace Museum collection. 画卷｜陳枚、孫祜、金昆、戴洪、程志道著｜清乾隆元年（公元1736年）｜尺寸：35.6×1152.8 cm｜台北故宫博物院藏4
The Qing Court Version was commissioned by Qing Emperor Yongzheng (r. 1722-1735) but he passed away before he could see its completion. His son and heir to the throne Emperor Qianlong (r. 1735-1799) became the first owner of the completed scroll. It was later brought to Taipei with the retreating Nationalist government.
The Song original and later versions are regarded as national treasures and are exhibited intermittently, and only for brief periods of time, due to their delicate nature. And as this year (2025) is the 100th anniversary of the establishment of The Palace Museum, it was brought for a limited time only exhibition. The Qing Court Version was on loan to Czech National Museum until the end of the year.
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
Footnotes :
- 〈清院本清明上河圖〉由畫院陳枚（1694-1745）、孫祜、金昆、戴洪及程志道五位畫家合作，內容包羅萬象，製作精緻考究，為集各家所長之經典名作，足以媲美宋張擇端〈清明上河圖〉。至於清沈源〈清明上河圖〉，除材質、設色不同於清院本外，在畫面的鋪陳、事物、舟車與人物的安排幾無差異，體現出清宮畫院繪製長卷鉅著的運作過程。https://theme.npm.edu.tw/exh105/RiverQingming/ch/index.html, accessed 17 Nov 2025 ↩︎
- 北宋張擇端〈清明上河圖〉（北京故宮藏），是宋代風俗畫的鉅作，描繪北宋都城開封汴河兩岸的繁榮景象，寫實的表現手法和傳奇性的流傳過程，不僅凝聚鑑賞者和收藏家的目光，亦是藝術史學者關注與研究的課題。然眾說紛紜，莫衷一是，「清明上河學」儼然興起。歷代畫家又從不同的視角及風俗軌跡，或仿效，或複製，留存至今者難以估計，學者指稱約莫百餘卷，典藏於各大博物館及私人藏家手中，反映出〈清明上河圖〉的影響力。https://www.dpm.org.cn/dyx.html?path=/Uploads/tilegenerator/dest/files/image/8831/2007/1900/img0009.xml, accessed 17 Nov 2025 ↩︎
- Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Along_the_River_During_the_Qingming_Festival, accessed 17 Nov 2025 ↩︎
- 此卷是由清宮畫院畫家陳枚（1694－1745）、孫祜、金昆、戴洪與程志道通力合作完成。以人物景致繁多取勝，可謂是集各家所長的作品。全作分為鄉野風光、虹橋市集、城門內外及金明池。除了熙來攘往的人物，櫛比鱗次的商店，還有逸趣的文人園林、輝麗的皇室苑囿，極力營造熱鬧喧囂的氣氛，堪稱十八世紀城市風貌的縮影。建築均依據透視原理，房舍街巷經絡分明，大小比例與遠近距離，莫不精準掌握，且有西式建築列置其中。筆墨精謹與色彩斑爛，是院藏同題作品之最精者。https://theme.npm.edu.tw/exh105/RiverQingming/ch/index.html, accessed 17 Nov 2025 ↩︎
- 本幅題為〈清明易簡圖〉，語出《易經．繫辭》：「易則易知，簡則易從。」即平易簡單之意，作者希望透過畫面，讓觀者對都城繁華勝景一目了然。 張擇端（活動於12世紀），字正道，東武人。善畫舟車、市橋、屋宇，作〈清明上河圖〉，現藏北京故宮博物院，後世畫家多摹仿之。此幅略分郊野鄉間、迎親隊伍、虹橋市集、城牆內外、天津之橋等段落。山石與樹木的畫法，與原畫差異較大，筆力稚弱，賦彩具裝飾性，空間平面化，應為明代摹本。https://theme.npm.edu.tw/exh105/RiverQingming/ch/index.html, accessed 17 Nov 2025 ↩︎
- 此卷是由清宮畫院畫家陳枚（1694－1745）、孫祜、金昆、戴洪與程志道通力合作完成。以人物景致繁多取勝，可謂是集各家所長的作品。全作分為鄉野風光、虹橋市集、城門內外及金明池。除了熙來攘往的人物，櫛比鱗次的商店，還有逸趣的文人園林、輝麗的皇室苑囿，極力營造熱鬧喧囂的氣氛，堪稱十八世紀城市風貌的縮影。建築均依據透視原理，房舍街巷經絡分明，大小比例與遠近距離，莫不精準掌握，且有西式建築列置其中。筆墨精謹與色彩斑爛，是院藏同題作品之最精者。https://theme.npm.edu.tw/exh105/RiverQingming/ch/index.html, accessed 17 Nov 2025 ↩︎
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