Qianlong Research Articles

On the Illusiveness of Identity Positioning of China in the Mandala System

This paper examines Emperor Qianlong's identity construction and historical analysis concerning the Mandala System, guided by a case study on social acquisition mechanisms. The author argues that Emperor Qianlong did not recognize or share the identity setting regarding China's role in the Mandala System, a unilateral policy design and understanding of Thailand's monarchs. The rewriting of imperial letters from China led to the misconception that the Chinese emperor internalized the country's role identity. This resulted in Thailand's monarchs following the teachings of Kautylia's Arthasasthra and engaging in political exchanges with China. However, the diplomacy between Thailand and the Ming dynasty during the Imjin War is not a convincing case to prove that the Mandala System influenced Thailand's diplomacy with the Chinese dynasty. The author suggests that theoretical thinking regarding diplomatic strategy can help provide an interpretation framework that integrates the subjectivity of China and Southeast Asian Kingdoms before the early 19th century.

Exploring the Effect of Tour Guide Cultural Interpretation on Tourists’ Loyalty in the Context of the Southern Journey by Emperor Qianlong

The southern journey by Emperor Qianlong left behind a wealth of cultural resources in the Jiangnan region. While elucidating the intricate facets of these diverse cultures, the tour guide adeptly fulfills the elevated cultural expectations of the tourists. This, in turn, fosters a deeper sense of attachment and loyalty towards the destination among the tourists. This study investigates the influencing mechanism of tour guide cultural interpretation (TCI) on tourists’ loyalty in the context of the southern tour by Emperor Qianlong. The research was conducted with 416 tourists from tour groups visiting Huishan Ancient Town Scenic Area. The results show that TCI has a direct effect on revisit intention (RI) and has an indirect effect on intention to recommend (IR); both memorable tourism experience (MTE) and place attachment (PA) mediate and serially mediate the association between TCI and tourists’ loyalty. The findings enrich the research on the relationship between tour guides’ interpretation and tourists’ loyalty by including MTE and PA as mediating variables.

『縞紵集』의 編纂者 朴長馣의 생애와 그 편찬 의식

This study aims to write the chronology of Park, Jang Am(1790~1852?) at a brief level, and to examine why he compiled Hojeojip, a kind of directory of people, and his intention. Park, Jang Am was born as his father's third son, Park, Je ga(1750~1805), an intellectual of the late Joseon Dynasty who was active in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Hojeojip, which Park, Jang Am wrote, consists of a list of Chinese intellectuals that his father met during his four trips to the Qing Empire Under the Qianlong Emperor's reign along with envoys dispatched for public duties.
 Yu, Bon Hak, Shin, Wi, and Li, Ding Yuan were the intellectuals of the 19th century Joseon Dynasty or of the Qing Empire abroad, who were close to Park, Jang Am. By examining the traces of his friendship with these three people, it is possible to know that Park, Jang Am was influenced or helped by them in the way he respected his father or in the work of supplementing the contents of Hojeojip.
 Hojeojip is a literature way for Park, Jang Am to respect his father, and more specifically, it was written to prove the existence of his father, Park, Je Ga, in the history of exchange between the Joseon Dynasty and the Qing Empires in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Several points can be presented as evidence for that. The first point is that he placed the materials of his father and Gwak, Jip Hwan's friendship at the beginning of Hojeojip. The second point is that the pages of Hojeojip include not only the articles related to his father but also those related to people who can be referred to as Park Je Ga's friends or disciples.
 In conclusion, Park, Jang Am revealed the purpose of praising his father's achievements in the literary exchanges between the Joseon Dynasty and the Qing Empire through Hojeojip. In other words, this is nothing other than the purpose of trying to prove not only the name of the family in the 19th-century literary world but also its presence.

Effects of Organized Hypocrisy Strategy on the Establishment of Political Relation of Rama I and Emperor Qianlong

The paper deploys and develops the organized hypocrisy theory to account for the effect of organized hypocrisy strategy on the establishment of the political relation between Rama I and Emperor Qianlong from 1782 to 1787. Using the case study of Rama, I and Emperor Qianlong and a historical analysis, the paper shows that the logic of consequences of Rama I seek China’s economic and military leads to Sino-Thai conflicting logics of appropriateness. Thailand uses the organized hypocrisy strategy to respond to this situation with two mutually negative versions of royal letters and transliterated terms. The key decoupling mechanism of the strategy is that the Thailand monarch conducts diplomatic interactions that maintain his status, while the Chinese in Thailand act as intermediaries to handle interactions that damage Thailand Monarch’s prestige. Organized hypocrisy strategy allows Thailand to maintain Rama I’s claim of universal kingship and meet the demand of Emperor Qianlong investing Rama I at the same time. Rama I and Emperor Qianlong formed a nominal tributary relationship on this premise. Thailand's organized hypocrisy strategy is largely the political hypocrisy of a small country dealing with a big one. Emperor Qianlong practicing the doctrine of ‘no rule’ and not sending envoys for investiture makes the hypocrisy strategy play a positive role. This study informs our theoretical understanding of Sino-Thai friendly official relations by introducing a focus on the organized hypocrisy strategy hitherto lacking.

‘Do You Not Bow before Heaven?’: The First Qing- Durrānī Encounter, the Tributary Non-relationship, and Disorder on a Shared Frontier

Abstract In 1763, Aḥmad Shāh Durrānī sent an embassy to the Qianlong emperor. The envoy caused offence by refusing to prostrate himself. Still, the Qing court fêted his embassy. It seemed the beginning of a promising relationship, but the two empires never had contact again. The Qing court presented the embassy as a tributary mission, but in the pragmatic world of Qing frontier policy, contact with the Durrānīs was deliberately avoided. Why did no relationship develop? This attitude stemmed from Qianlong’s distrust of Central Asian rulers, and his understanding of the Afghans not as a tributary, but a rival imperial power.

Life Trajectories of the Yubi Zhiguolun: From Qing Dynasty to British Exhibitory Space

Since the later stage of the Qing Dynasty, many imperial objects have been moved to Europe due to a series of Sino-European wars. Perceived as having less material value, Qing imperial books, manuscripts, and scrolls are studied less by contemporary scholars. The Yubi Zhiguolun (‘禦筆知過論’) is one example. The Qianlong Emperor wrote this introspective essay at the age of 71 (1781). Subsequently, it was reproduced as a scroll, carved in jade, presented in paper copies, and shared as a lacquered album. The lacquer album was originally stored in the Yuanmingyuan. It was brought to Europe after the Second Opium War. It is currently preserved in the British Library. To understand the Zhiguolun’s history, the author uses the concept of the ‘social life of things’. Travelling over time and space, its aesthetic value, social meaning, and emotional efficacy changed, corresponding to changes in its social relations. Here, the framework of the ‘social life of things’ will be mobilized to follow the Zhiguolun’s life trajectories over three phases: an indigenous life in the Qing context; the moment of rupture, as it departs from China; and its subsequent life in Europe.

Zhang 瘴, Shu 暑, and the Traveling Embassy Avoiding Heat at the Mountain Resort of Emperor Qianlong

May 01 2023 Zhang 瘴, Shu 暑, and the Traveling Embassy Avoiding Heat at the Mountain Resort of Emperor Qianlong Y. L. Lucy Wang Y. L. Lucy Wang Y. L. Lucy Wang is an architectural historian, curator, educator, and Ph. D. candidate at Columbia University's Department of Art History and Archaeology. Her dissertation traces the emergence of professionalized architecture in the Greater China region, examining how a hygienic consciousness entered into architectural expertise and how architects, doctors, land-surveyors, and engineers integrated new understandings of disease into their work, and her research broadly addresses global modernisms and diasporic architecture. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Author and Article Information Y. L. Lucy Wang Y. L. Lucy Wang is an architectural historian, curator, educator, and Ph. D. candidate at Columbia University's Department of Art History and Archaeology. Her dissertation traces the emergence of professionalized architecture in the Greater China region, examining how a hygienic consciousness entered into architectural expertise and how architects, doctors, land-surveyors, and engineers integrated new understandings of disease into their work, and her research broadly addresses global modernisms and diasporic architecture. Online ISSN: 2572-7338 Print ISSN: 1091-711X © 2023 Y. L. Lucy Wang2023Y. L. Lucy Wang Thresholds (2023) (51): 14–25. https://doi.org/10.1162/thld_a_00780 Cite Icon Cite Permissions Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Search Site Citation Y. L. Lucy Wang; Zhang 瘴, Shu 暑, and the Traveling Embassy Avoiding Heat at the Mountain Resort of Emperor Qianlong. Thresholds 2023; (51): 14–25. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/thld_a_00780 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll JournalsThresholds Search Advanced Search This content is only available as a PDF. © 2023 Y. L. Lucy Wang2023Y. L. Lucy Wang Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

The Influence of The Retro Trend On The Pattern and Symbol of Ceramic Decoration in The Qianlong Period of The Qing Dynasty

The Influence of The Retro Trend On The Pattern and Symbol of Ceramic Decoration in The Qianlong Period of The Qing Dynasty

Issledovaniya kitajskih uchenyh po istoriko-etnograficheskomu pamyatniku «Izobrazheniya dannikov pravyashchej dinastii Cin»

The “Royal Tribute Picture of the Qing Dynasty” (“Huang Qing Zhigong Tu”) is a valuable historical ethnographic book compiled during the reign of emperor Qianlong in the Qing dynasty. It vividly depicts the appearance, costumes, and lives of ethnic minorities, as well as people from vassal states and overseas countries during the Qing dynasty. This paper thoroughly reviews studies on the book by Chinese researchers and aims to provide a reference for further and more in-depth research.

Jade Collection of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty

Jade Collection of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty

The Number and Regional Distribution of Chinese Monks after the Mid-Qing Dynasty

The total number of ordination certificates issued between 1736 and 1739 was 340,112. Analyzing the amount and regional distribution of ordination certificates during the early Qianlong period is helpful for us in clarifying the amount and regional distribution of Chinese monks since the mid-Qing Dynasty. The total number of Buddhist monks did not change measurably during the two hundred years from Qianlong’s reign until the Republic period, remaining between 600,000 and 700,000. Although the census in the 1930s did not cover Taoist monks, as previously discussed, their number may have been similar to that during Qianlong’s reign. As a result, the number of monks (both Buddhist and Taoist) did not changed much after the mid-Qing Dynasty, despite many historical changes since the 19th century, such as population growth, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement, the promotion of education with temple property, and the warlord conflicts. The number of Buddhist monks in Northern China declined significantly from 1742 to 1936, while that in the regions along the midstream and downstream of the Yangtze River and in Southwestern China, it increased significantly. However, the geographical layout of Chinese Buddhism did not changed much, as there was neither a noticeable decline nor a noticeable revival in the number of monks and nuns.

Non-Invasive On-Site pXRF Analysis of Coloring Agents of Under- and Over-Glazes: Variability and Representativity of Measurements on Porcelain

The study of rare objects requires the use of mobile non-invasive methods such as a portable X-ray fluorescence instrument (pXRF), but this involves an analysis from the outer surface, while the depth analyzed depends on the element measured and, in addition, the material can be very heterogeneous at different scales. The concept of elemental composition, therefore, has no “absolute” meaning for painted enamel decorations. This work evaluates this concept by comparing the pXRF measurements made with different configuration procedures, allowing to evaluate the consequences on the variability of the XRF signals, and discusses the contents of certain chemical elements. For this, two shards from the Qianlong period are analyzed, a shard of blue and white (underglazed) porcelain and a fragment of an ‘imperial’ bowl with painted enamel decoration (huafalang). The variability of measurements is compared for visually appearing homogeneous or heterogeneous areas.

Xiyanglou – “Buildings of the Western Ocean”: Splendor, Poverty and Lessons of the Ruin

The paper gives a complex analysis of the Xiyanglou palace and park complex (“Buildings of the Western Ocean”), located on the current northwestern outskirts of Beijing, designed, and built in 1747–1751 by European masters, led by the Italian Jesuit artist Giuseppe Castiglione (Lang Shining, 1688–1766). Castiglione, best known as a painter, acted in this case as a visionary architect and designer who skillfully integrated the “European part” into the already existing Yuanmingyuan palace complex and received for this his main recognition at the court of the Manchu Emperor Qianlong, who personally oversaw the project. Using the example of the syncretic Sino-European style of the Xiyanglou architectural complex, incorporating European Baroque and Rococo styles and classical Chinese construction principles, the paper demonstrates the European masters’ practical application of the adaptation principles developed by Matteo Ricci, the leader of the Jesuit mission in China when preaching Christianity in China. Separately, the innovative buildings in the Chinese style located in Yuanming Yuan, which incorporated Xiyanglou, are briefly analyzed, the background of the design and creation of Xiyanglou is considered, detailed descriptions of the buildings of the Western Quarter are given, and the fate of the palace and park complex is traced. The author concludes that the Western Quarter, which became a testing ground where were practiced the principles of Occidental art, acted as a focus of mutual influence of European and Chinese artistic trends.

乾隆帝의 ‘景觀經營’에 대한 고찰

The purpose of this paper was to understand how Emperor Qianlong perceived the landscape. The imperial Qianlong tour created numerous landscapes and gave meaning. The perception of such a landscape was sufficient to change the conquistador image of Qianlong. Therefore, the attitude toward the landscape of Emperor Qianlong was called ''Landscape Management''. Emperor Qianlong changed the characteristics of the eight scenic spots. ‘Eight Scenic Views of the landscape’, which contained the unworldly view of the literary godfathers of the Song Dynasty, and ‘Eight Scenic Views of the landscape’, which was an ideology for national domination after the Jin Dynasty, changed during the emperor Qianlong. Eight Scenic Views of the Beauty Spot means that a landscape forms a beauty spot. This is because the geographical category of the landscape is narrowed and the number of sceneries is expanded to highlight the characteristics of each landscape, while strengthening the placeness and adding consolation and comfort functions. This strengthened the psychological effect by making the distance between the landscape and the viewer close. Through historical evidence of the existing landscape, poetry and paintings, the emperor Qianlong reconstructed the landscape, and built monuments and buildings in each landscape to take coordinates and promote the localization of the landscape. The emperor Qianlong pursued a "small landscape" nearby. The small landscape was thought to be sufficient to resemble the great universe. The inclusion of "the world" in the small landscape of the emperor Qianlong is in line with the strategy of "seeing the big through the small" as a national ruler. This political strategy is a governing logic and concept that runs from the "house" to the "state" of Confucianism, and it was believed that the individual''s capabilities could be in charge of a huge "world." In addition, the idea that the "beautiful scenery" in the small mind of humans is endless and infinite out of the world is due to the influence of Buddhist logic. In conclusion, it can be said that the emperor Qianlong contributed to the redefinition and expansion of China''s landscape culture.

A Comparative Study on the Patterns of Dragon Pattern Porcelain in the Qianlong and Guangxu Periods of the Qing Dynasty

Dragon pattern is an important historical culture in Chinese arts and crafts, and it is also one of the decorative patterns with the most cultural connotation in porcelain. Exploring the ancient Chinese dragon pattern can promote the research of Chinese art history and enhance the utilization of ancient art value. This paper takes the blue and white dragon pattern plate of Qianlong period and the blue and white Shuanglong playing pearl plate on Guangxu period as the representative of dragon pattern porcelain of the two periods to compare and analyze the historical background, line characteristics, color style and spatial layout. Through the research results, it’s find that the dragon pattern porcelain patterns in the Qianlong and Guangxu periods of the Qing Dynasty were different due to the differences in the national strength of the Qing Dynasty, the social aesthetic differences and the national economic strength. It is concluded that the dragon pattern on the porcelain will appear in different styles in the same Dynasty due to different historical backgrounds.

화신(和珅)과 건륭(乾隆)황제의 관계로 보는 청대의 부패양상

Heshen(和珅) is considered the most corrupt high official in Chinese history. He is a very unusual case, because his time was reign of peace, and the emperor was also an Emperor Qianlong(乾隆), considered a very distinguished monarch. He dealt with the LiShiyao(李侍堯) case, his unfair harvesting has begun, and the transition from clean official to corrupt official was very quickly. As Heshen's rank rose, his wealth also increased by using seven methods. The emperor overlooked and protected Heshen's fraudulent harvest because he was more trusted by the emperor with the ability he wanted and by matching the emperor's mood in a timely manner. And the harm was severe because it took a lot of money to go on a very luxurious trip whenever Emperor Qianlong went down to Jiangnan(江南). So Heshen created a system for discussing crimes(議罪銀) and allowed Emperor Qianlong to use the income generated from it privately. However, when Emperor Jiaqing(嘉慶) immediately made him commit suicide after the death of Emperor Qianlong, the size of Heshen's property became a matter of keen interest. Depending on the data, it is estimated to be 200 to 800 million silver liang(銀兩), but the exact amount is beyond investigation. Imperial Jiaqing was able to gain political advantage by punishing Heshen. Nevertheless, Heshen's corruption case can be seen as a symbol of the Qing(淸) Dynasty is going into decline. He certainly seems to have rushed his own death because of his outstanding ability.

Visualizing the Emperor’s Pantheon

Abstract In the early 1740s, a set of carved lacquer containers were imperially commissioned in Suzhou to hold Daoist and Buddhist scriptures transcribed by the Qianlong emperor. Decorated with numerous deities in bas-relief, these understudied luxury objects shed new light on Buddhist and Daoist material cultures at the High Qing court and offer a glimpse of the imperial patron’s religious cosmology. Focusing on Qianlong’s two miniature pantheons and tracing the life history of objects in Qing palaces, this article explores the key role played by sacred images in elevating devotional objects of religious significance. As the most important offerings to Daoist and Buddhist deities, the lacquer boxes containing imperially transcribed scriptures were set on altars in different temples in the Forbidden City, even after Qianlong’s death. Characterized by rich religious symbolism, the Daoist and Buddhist icons designed for the containers embody visual efficacy that elevated the concealed scriptures and complemented the sacred spaces where they were enshrined.

The Qianlong Emperor's order: scientific analysis helps find French painted enamel among Palace Museum collections

Painted enamel holds special significance in the study of the history of Chinese ceramic and glass. Painted enamel also represents interesting evidence of cultural communication between China and European countries. In the past, studies on painted enamel have mainly focused on archival research. Although modern scientific techniques have complemented research on enameled artifacts, the quality of the samples has usually been inferior. This study combines scientific analysis and archival work to explore four similar pots from the Palace Museum collection, along with the specific documentation information attached to them. Raman spectra, XRF and CT scanning were applied to compare the four pots. Results show that one of the pots is made of gold and use cassiterite and Naples yellow as opacifier and pigments, this pot bears the hidden hallmarks of a Parisian goldsmith, providing direct evidence that the pot was made in France in 1783. The other pots are proven to have been made in China, which are made of copper gilded with gold and use lead arsenate and lead tin yellow as opacifier and pigments. This work reveals a previously unnoticed route by which enamel artifacts reached the Chinese court.

Textual Research and Explanation of Related Issues in Zhang Ruocheng's "Twenty-eight Scenes of Jingyi Garden"

"Twenty-eight Scenes of Jingyi Garden" is a long scroll of ancient Chinese garden paintings depicting the scenery of Jingyi Garden in Xiangshan during the Qianlong period. This paper examines the circulation process and current situation of the painting, and analyzes the historical situation of the author Zhang Ruocheng's creation in various aspects. In the process of analyzing the painting in detail, the author also interprets the causes of the style of the painting from multiple dimensions.

The Forced Resettlement of Tai People During the Reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1735–1796)

The Forced Resettlement of Tai People During the Reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1735–1796)