The Three Gorges of the Yangtze River

Labeled as one of the ten most famous scenic sites in China, the three famous gorges of the Yangtze offers travelers 120 miles (192km) of spectacular scenic landscapes, death defying rapids, surreal shaped peaks and mountaintop, and countless historical sites.

Yangtze Basics
The Yangtze is the third longest river in the world. The 3900 mile (6275 km) Yangtze river flows from the mountains of western China, eastward across the plains, and ends at the East China Sea. The source of the Yangtze is located on the Tibetan Plateau (the roof of the world). For centuries the Yangtze was the main transportation route from China's coast to its central region.

The Three Gorges
Just beyond the city of Chongqing the Yangtze river passes through the famous Three Gorges. The three famous gorges, celebrated in Chinese art and poetry, are the Qutang Gorge, the Wu Gorge, and the Xiling Gorge and extend from the White King Town in Fengjie County in the Sichuan Province to the Nanjinguan Pass in Yichang (Hubei Province). The gorges are formed mostly from limestone and have very step sides with pinnacles of rock jutting out.

Qutang Gorge
The Qutang Gorge is the first and narrowest of the Three Gorges. It extends eastward from White King Town to Daxi. At times labeled as the most dangerous pass in the world, the gorge is no more than 5 miles (8km) long yet its rough waters and narrow passage (as narrow as 150 feet, 50 meters) can make for a beautiful yet dangerous passage. At the entrance of the Qutang Gorge, steep cliffs on either side look like two towering closing doors. This section of the Yangtze River is flanked with steep and jagged knife-cut cliffs and towering peaks. Once in the gorge, Mt. Chijia on the north (Red Armor Cliffs) and Mt. Baiyan (White Salt Cliffs) on the south penetrate into the sky facing each other so closely that they sometime appear if each mountain crosses the Yangtze touching each other. Looking from a distance in a clear day, Mt. Chijia sometimes resembles a huge pink peach and Mt. Biyan, a mountain of white salt glittering in the sunlight. The most spectacular view of the gorge is when both mountains disappear in the mist and low cloud cover.

The Qutang Gorge boasts not only splendid scenic landscapes but also places of great historical interest. Displayed along the rock faces are master artworks of calligraphy and stone engravings from different dynasties.

Wu Gorge
Leaving the magnificence of the Qutang Gorge behind, the splendor of Wu Gorge comes in sight. The Wu Gorge (gorge of witches) appears as the most enchanting of the three gorges. The Wu Gorge has beautiful peaks and steep cliffs on either side, some reaching as high as 6400 feet (2000 meters). The high canyon walls sometimes block out the sun’s rays and when misty, create an almost surreal view of the gorge. The Wu Gorge is named after Mt. Wushan. It extends eastward from the mouth of the Daning River in the east of Wushan City (Sichuan Province) to the city of Guandukou in Badong County (Hubei Province). Having a length of 28 miles (45km), the wide Wu Gorge is flanked with towering peaks, steep cliffs, and countless twists and turns in the river. The twelve peaks of Mt. Wushan crate a spectacular scene. The peaks are varied in shape with some appear as forms such as dragons flying to the sky or phoenixes spreading their wings. Some mountains are shrouded in clouds and others covered with ancient pine trees. Located in the region of Wu Gorge are such famous walled cities as Wushan, Badong, and Zigui.


Xiling Gorge
Described by an ancient poet as “torrents from above falling upon ten thousand snow drifts", the Xiling Gorge is the longest and the last of the three gorges. The Xiling Gorge stretches 48 miles (76km) from the mouth of the Xiangxi River in Zigui County in the west to Nanjin Pass of Yichang City in the east. Once dangerous for hidden shoals and rock landslides, the Xiling Gorge was once refereed to as a “ship graveyard.” In Xiling Gorge lie a few small gorges from west to east including the Tactics Books and Sword Gorge, the Bull's Liver and Horse's Lung Gorge, the Shadow Play Gorge, and the Ox Gorge. Along the Shadow Play Gorge are hidden waterfalls and caves.

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The Life of Emperor Qian Long

Emperor Qianlong, also named Ai Xin Jue Luo Hong Li, (1711-1799) was the sixth Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and the fourth after Manchu troops finally broke through the Great Wall that had protected central China. He gained fame as the feudal emperor responsible for one of China's longest reigns, longest life and greatest influence. Although he was one of the most controversial sovereigns in Chinese history, Emperor Qianlong was a keen poet, writer and calligrapher: he produced three collections of essays and five albums of poetry, making him one of the most prolific poets and calligraphers in ancient China. He also sponsored the compilation of Si Ku Quan Shu (Complete Collection in Four Treasuries). He was familiar with military strategies and invented Shi Quan Wu Gong (perfect gongfu). He was fond of hunting and travelling, and visited Southern China six times on tours of inspection, as well as making four visits to Shengjing. Almost every Autumn, he would visit Mount Wu Tai in the west and Confucius's Temple in the south. Emperor Qianlong took great pride in his administrative style which ushered in a period of great prosperity in the country. Unfortunately, however, in his old age he appointed corrupt officials such as Ho Shen, and problems of extortion and poor administration contributed directly to the decline of the Qing Dynasty.

In China, Emperor Qianlong is a well-known historical figure of legendary proportions, and the story of his life has given rise to a huge amount of popular folklore, including tales of palace affairs, political intrigue, and tours in disguise. Court culture is regarded as the result of developments and progress in traditional Chinese society, and the emperor's life has been the focus of constant debate, speculation, concern and general interest over the years.

Emperor Qianlong's reign marked the peak of feudalism in China and, together with the reign of Emperor Kangxi, this period is known as Kang Qian Sheng Shi (the Great Prosperity of Emperor Kangxi and Qianlong).

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Qianlong Overglaze Iron-Red Bowl

Porcelain bowl with overglaze iron-red decoration

Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period 1736-1795

Height: 8cm, Diameter: 15.8cm


Beautiful porcelain bowl with overglaze iron red decoration with Qianlong mark and of the period. Low fired, iron-red decoration was produced in a wide range of shades. Various methods were used in applying such decoration on small, elegant vessels, bowls, water-pots, jars, and vases. Scarlet, coral-red, or salmon-pink were employed, either over the entire body or merely as ornament, as seen on this piece. The color is applied thinly and evenly, providing evidence of the high standards demanded for imperial wares from this period.

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Chinese Temples

Temples symbolize the long history and rich culture of China, and are regarded as valuable art treasures. There are many different religions in China, such as the Buddhism, Christianity and Islam introduced from other regions, as well as Taoism and Confucianism, the native-born religions. Of course, temples or houses of worship of different religions differ. Buddhist temples include a temple, pagoda and grotto, which are called Si, Ta, and Shiku in Chinese respectively. Taoist architecture is variously called Gong, Guan or An in Chinese. Confucian temples, such as Kong Miao, Yonghe Lamasery (Harmony and Peace Palace Lamasery) and the Temple of Heaven are called Miao, Gong, or Tan in Chinese. An Islamic house of worship is referred to as a Mosque. Christian churches have also added some Chinese flavor to them.

Chinese temples are well kept cultural artifacts of every dynasty. And temple culture has influenced every aspect of Chinese people's life such as painting, calligraphy, music, sculpture, architecture, temple fairs, folk-customs and many others. The following are typical religious architectural styles in China.

The European churches often use complicated spire, arched domed roof and stained glass window to convey religious morals. Every detail of the buildings tries with intentions to express the opposite of the Promised Land in Heaven and miserable world on Earth. However, in a different way, Chinese temples want to express the concept of the integration of heaven and humanity, that is, human beings is a part of nature. Followed by this idea, many Chinese temples actively embrace themselves into nature. The building integrated with nature is exactly the embodiment of the integration of heaven and humanity. This is to explain why many Chinese temples are located in mountains and forests.

What's more, like a beautiful picture which makes up of lines of different lengths and thicknesses, Chinese temples uses various pillars, beams and arches interlaced with each other to compose an architecture complex. Each building doesn't stand alone, for example, the hall of Mahavira should stand out against the mountain forests and side halls to highlight its elegance and artistic conception.

In addition, it is learned that the space awareness reflected in Chinese temples is different from that in European churches. In order to make people feel small and helpless compared to the powerful lord, European churches emphasize on huge and enclosed space. But Chinese temples give people the feeling of harmonious environment and comfortable life when they stroll in the changeable and complicated buildings. The spirit of entering the mortal world is encouraged when practice religious services.

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Dazu Grottoes - China

Among China's famous grottos the Dazu Grottoes in Chongqing are considered latecomers in Chinese history. Although some Dazu grottoes were originally built during the Tang Dynasty, large-scale development began in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The grotto art of Dazu County incorporates elements of the three major religions: Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. All three religions were developing at the same time but the Buddhist influence at Dazu dominates over the other two religions. The Yungang Grotto carvings belong to the speleologist art of the early period and the statuary was distinctly influenced by the art of Gandhara style and Greek. Longman Grotto carvings represent the stereological art of the middle period, and the statuary had embodied much Chinese culture. Dazu rock carvings are products of the stereological art of the late period. This period is about the time of Five Dynasties and Song Dynasty when stereological art declined in northern China. One of the major creators of the Dazu Grottoes was Zhao Zhifeng, a monk of the Esoteric School.

Main Sites at Dazu:

Shimenshan (Stone Gate Mountain) Grottoes
This is a group of a dozen cave-shrines that provide shelter to more than 1,000 large and small statues belonging to Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. These include the Emperor Wuxian (a god in Chinese folklore) and Prince Bingling (the God of Fire in Taoism). In the center of Cave No. 6 is a statue of Amitayus, the Buddha of Boundless Life, flanked on either side by a statue of Avalokitesvara in a different image. The two side rock walls of the cave are carved with five Buddhist deities holding ritual objects in their hands. According to their signature inscriptions, these statues date back to the Southern Song (1127-1279).

Shizhuanshan Grottoes
Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism coexist in the Zimu Hall and the Qianfo (Thousand Buddha) Cliff that combine to form the Shizhuanshan Grottoes. The nine shrines in the Zimu Hall contain a mixture of Vairocana, Manjusri, Samantabhadra and Ksitigarbha of Buddhism; Confucius, the father of Confucianism, and other Confucian scholars; and Laozi, the founder of Taoism, and the Queen Mother of the West. All these sculptures renditions date back to the Northern Song (960-1127) and are of high artistic value. The Qianfo (Thousand Buddha) Cliff is a domain of Buddhist statues done during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Northern Mountain Buddhist Sculpture
Northern mountain, known in ancient times as Longgang Mountain, is where the first group of Buddhist statues appeared in 892 in the Tang Dynasty. Dubbed the "Bay of the Buddha" here some 264 cave-shrines are tunneled into the wide surface of a seven-meter-high and 500 meter-wide cliff. The statues inside them belong to both the Five Dynasties (907-960) and the Song Dynasty. Apart from stone sculptures, the place also abounds in stone inscriptions, and boasts an ancient pagoda.

Baodingshan Grottoes
Baodingshan is known for its awesome collection of over 10,000 Buddhist sculptures and cliff carvings in three sections:

Shengshou Temple - First built during the Song Dynasty, the halls as they are today are legacies of the Ming and the Qing. The main structures are the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Hall of the Jade Emperors the Mahavira Hall, the Incantation Hall, the Hall of Dipamkara and the Hall of Vimalakirti. Among the major statues is one of Vimalakirti (said to have been a contemporary of Sakyamuni, and to have visited China). Hollowed into the sides of the platform of this temple are 77 shrines each housing a Buddhist figurine. True to the Chinese religious tradition that a group of grottoes invariably contains a temple, the Shengshou Temple is an essential part of the Baodingshan grottoes and cliff carvings. –

The Lesser Bay of the Buddha - Also known as Dabao Chamber, this is right by the Shengshou Temple. It is said that this was where Zhao Zhifeng conducted experiments before he began large-scale construction of grottoes and cliff carvings at Baodingshan. The Lesser Bay of Buddha used to cover a wide but only 600 or so statues and four sculptures carved into the cliff wails exist today. There is also a three-tiered square stone pagoda with walls engraved with Buddhist portraits and titles of Buddhist scriptures.

The Greater Bay of the Buddha - The largest cluster of the Grottoes and Cliff Carvings are found here in rock walls of a deep ravine carved with Jataka stories of Buddhism and texts of scriptures. A rendition of the Thousand-Hand Guanyin covered some 262 square feet or 88 square meters of the eastern wall of the bay. The statue portrays the Guanyin (Goddess of Mercy) as a study of serenity as she sits on her lotus throne wearing a crown and cupping the palms of one pair of her hands together before her chest. Her other 10,000 hands are chiseled into the cliff wall behind her, and arrayed in neat lines in the shape of a fan that is evocative of a peacock fanning out its tail. Each exquisitely carved hand holds a different ritual object in it. The Greater Bay of Buddha also boasts a sleeping Buddha whose reclining body extends for some 90 feet or 31 meters, with part of his legs extending into the depth of the cliff He is not alone there, as he has the company of his ten major disciples, all carved in busts. The entire group of sculpture is a superb piece of Chinese religious art.

The Yuanjue (Perfect Enlightenment) Cave - Sitting in this cave are three statues of the Buddha with a number of disciples bowing in front of him, and 12 other disciples sitting beside him on lotus thrones. This group of stone carvings is regarded as quintessential art of the Greater Bay of Buddha.

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History of Chinese Ceramics

After the invention of pottery in the Neolithic period, (5000-2200 B.C.), the ancient Chinese succeeded in producing painted pottery, black pottery and carved pottery. The long years of experience in kiln firing led China entering into a new ceramic age in the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) Although archaeological finds have revealed that glazed pottery was produced as early as the Western Zhou dynasty (1100-771 B.C.), yet the production of glazed wares was not common until the Han Dynasty.

An obvious change in the attitude of figure modelling in the Six Dynasties (265-588 A.D.) was the inclination to include more details, an effort to make the models look more real. Six Dynasties potters also succeeded in improving the quality of early celadon wares both in glaze colour and in body clay. The production of glazed proto-porcelain was a significant achievement in Chinese ceramic history.

The major contribution made by Tang dynasty (616-906 A.D.) potters was their bold introduction of the multi-colour wares. In early Tang dynasty, production of sancai , or tri-colour pottery figurines dominate the pottery scene. Tang pottery figurines comprised three mayor categories, namely human figures, animals and fabulous tomb guards.

The success of ceramic production in the Sung dynasty (960-1279 A.D.) was seen in the monochrome wares. The most spectacular of the Sung monochromes was the celadon which has been called by various names base on its shade and tone or its pattern of crackles.

The production of blue and white wares at the end of the Yuan dynasty (1280-1367) and the beginning of the Ming dynasty (1368-1643) was generally of a poorer quality, possibly due to the shortage of imported cobalt during the period of political instability. In Yung Lo reign (1403-1424), both the potting and glazing techniques improved and wares attained a whiter body and richer blue than those of Yuan dynasty ware. The underglaze blue of the Yung Lo wares and Hsuen Te (1426-1435) wares noted or their rich blue tone.

Throughout the Ming dynasty, dragon and phoenix were the most popular decorative motifs on ceramic wares. Other animals, plant forms, and human figures in garden and interior setting were often used as decors for blue and white wares. It has been noted that after Wan Li (1573-1620), very few ceramic wares of the Ming dynasty bear reign marks.

The fashionable wucai wares of Chia Ching (1522-1566) and Wan Li (1573-1620) periods are usually fully covered with colourful patterns. Very often the colours are a bit too heavy. The colours used include red, yellow, light and dark green, brown, aubergine and underglaze blue. In Ming dynasty, a variety of porcelain wares were decorated with motifs coming up on coloured ground instead. They included wares with green glazed pattern on a yellow ground, yellow glazed pattern on a blue ground, green glazed pattern on a red ground and other colour combinations.

Another remarkable category of coloured wares produced in the Ming dynasty was the susancai or 'tri-colour'. The major three colours are yellow, green and aubergine. Tri-colour wares of the Ming dynasty appeared in the reigns of Hsuen Te, Chia Ching and Wan Li.

The peak of Chinese ceramic production was seen in the reigns of Kang Hsi (1622-1722). Yung Cheng (1723-1735) and Chien Lung (1736-1796) of the Ching dynasty during which improvement was seen in almost all ceramic types, including the blue and white wares, polychrome wares, wucai wares, etc. The improved enamel glazes of early Ching dynasty being fired at a higher temperature also acquired a more brilliant look than those of the Ming dynasty.

The production of doucai wares in the Yung Cheng period reached new height both in quantity and technical perfection.

The use of fencai enamel for decorating porcelain wares was first introduced in Kang Hsi period. The production of fencai enamel wares reached a mature stage in the Yung Cheng era. As the improved fencai enamels had a wider range of colours and each could be applied in a variety of tones, they could be used to depict some of the highly complicated pictorial compositions of flower and plant forms, figures and even insects.

Ching dynasty is a period specially noted for the production of colour glazes. In the area of monochromes, Ching potters succeeded in reproducing most of the famous glaze colours found in ceramic wares on the Sung, Yuan and Ming dynasties. In addition, they created a number of new glazes, especially the monochromes. Among them were the Sang-de-boeuf, the rough-pink, the coral red and the mirror black. All these four glazes were invented in the reign of Kang Hsi.

Yung Cheng potters invented a flambe glaze know as Lujun, or robin's egg which was produced in two firings. Another significant colour glaze successfully produced by the Ching potter was 'tea-dust'. It is an opaque glaze finely speckled with colours in green, yellow and brown.

When Ming was taken over by Qing (about 1639-1700 AD), and when Qing was taken over by the Republic of China (about 1909-1915 AD), the disturbances in these two periods resulted in the collapse of the official kilns. In their places, private kilns were established by the operators and artists who previously worked in the official kilns. With their expertise, they produced high quality porcelain wares, such as the 'export porcelain wares made during the transition of Ming to Qing', which earned a high praise in overseas markets, and the excellent imitations of Sung, Yuan and Qing wares are made during "the early stage of the Republic of China," which were almost true to the originals.

When the war broke out in 1937, triggered by the incident at Lo-Kou Bridge, all the kilns were closed. The operators and artists were dispersed, and many of them traveled to the south, trying to make a living. When peace came in 1945, social stability led to the re-establishment of the pottery industry. In this stretch of fifty years to the present time, the industry has re-gained its previous glory and is enjoying a growing prosperity. In the past twenty years, the ceramics industry has been developing at a quick pace.

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Chinese porcelain decoration: overglaze enamels

The term 'overglaze enamels' is used to describe enamel decoration on the surface of a glaze which has already been fired. Once painted, the piece would be fired a second time, usually at a lower temperature.

The first use of overglaze enamelling is found on the slip-covered wares of northern China. This was an innovation of the Jin dynasty (1115-1234), with documented pieces as early as 1201. These were utilitarian wares, not for imperial use. Under the emperors of the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911) dynasty, the various techniques of overglaze enamelling reached their heights at the manufacturing centre in Jingdezhen.

The most highly prized technique is known as doucai ('joined' or 'contrasted' colours), first produced under the Ming emperor Xuande (1426-35), but more usually associated with Chenghua (1465-87). Cobalt was used under the glaze to paint the outlines and areas of blue wash needed in the design. The piece was then glazed and fired at a high temperature. Overglaze colours were painted on to fill in the design. The piece was then fired again at a lower temperature.

Wucai wares, meaning 'five colours', were also developed in the Ming dynasty. A full palette of polychrome enamels or mixed colours is used. These pieces tend to be larger than doucai wares, with stronger colours, more intricate designs, and very little white showing. The best-known wucai wares are from the reign of Wanli (1573-1620).

There were also important developments under the Qing dynasty. Famille rose (pink), jaune (yellow), noire (black) and verte (green) were overglaze enamel-decorated porcelains made from the Kangxi period (1662-1722) and later.

Please don't hesitate to contact us should you have any queries about Asian Art. Dream Art Gallery has 20 years of experience in studying and collecting Asian Art. Established in 1999 as online gallery Dream Art Gallery specialises in exclusive Chinese ceramics and works of art from the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties.

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