Southern Tang Research Articles

The Night Banquet of Han Xizai in the Perspective of Socio-Historical Criticism

The purpose of this article is to explore in depth the historical background, iconographic content, and its historical value and significance of Han Xizai's Night Banquet through the perspective of socio-historical criticism. The article firstly analyzes the socio-historical situation of the Five Dynasties period, especially the political and cultural background of the Southern Tang Dynasty, as well as the association between Han Xizai and the Southern Tang Dynasty royal family. Secondly, it provides a detailed pictorial interpretation of Han Xizai's Night Banquet in terms of its picture content and scene arrangement, character image and costume props, artistic style and presentation method. Finally, the historical value and significance of the painting are discussed. Han Xizai's Night Banquet not only reflects the social and political background of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, but also reveals the relationship between Han Xizai and the royal family of the Southern Tang Dynasty. With its fine brushwork style and unique narrative technique, the painting shows the prosperity of the court culture and the luxury of aristocratic life in the Southern Tang Dynasty. At the same time, the painting also has important value in art history, painting technique, cultural relics and collection history. As a precious historical document, The Night Banquet of Han Xizai not only helps to enrich our understanding of ancient history, but also enhances our appreciation of ancient art, and has certain reference value for historical and artistic research.

Unearthing lights-induced epilithic bacteria community assembly and associated function potentials in historical relics

Microbial biodeterioration causes a considerable loss of authenticity and aesthetic value of historical relics worldwide. However, we know very little about the ecology of the environmental microbiomes of these fragile ecosystems, impeding their long-term conservation. Towards an essential understanding, we explored the highly interactive triangle among community assembly process, composition and biodeterioration functional potentials of dominant epilithic bacteria community in a 1060-year stone relics-the Two Mausoleums of the Southern Tang Dynasty in China. Microbial assembly processes were evaluated using statistical null models and then associated with taxonomic and biodeterioration functional diversities along successional chronosequences. Results showed that stochasticity was a persistent force structuring the assembly of the epilithic bacterial community, creating a succession characterized with diverse heterotrophic colonizers but with reduced prevalence of Cyanobacteria. Along with the succession, potential functional diversity significantly increased, which may in turn induce severe biodeterioration to historical relics. To benefit reservation management, we speculate that it is critical for a scheme to interfere with the ongoing stochasticity. In total, a systematic perspective linking community assembly, taxonomic and functional compositions is key to understanding ecological mechanisms underlying microbial biodeterioration of cultural relics and supporting preventive conservation for future generations.

Spatial and temporal changes in microclimate affect disease distribution in two ancient tombs of Southern Tang Dynasty

Two tombs of the Southern Tang Dynasty (Qinling Tomb and Shunling Tomb), the most important cultural heritages in China, were built for emperors 1000 years ago and decorated with murals and stone sculptures. After their excavation in the 1950s, it was found that drastic fluctuations in the environment within the tombs had caused multiple diseases, such as salt efflorescence, powdering, and biodeterioration, which led to irreversible damage to the murals. This research comprised long-term (yearly) environmental monitoring and short-term (monthly) investigation into the distribution of salt crystallization and microbial growth within the two tombs. The objective was to unveil the relationship between the temporal and spatial distributions of the mural diseases and environmental characteristics while proposing a promising environmental regulation strategy for relic conservation. The results showed a gradual reduction in temperature fluctuation from the entrance to the back chamber and a distinct vertical stratification in relative humidity. The relative humidity in the upper areas of the tombs reached 100% during summer, while it averaged around 40–50% in the lower areas during winter. Consequently, significant condensation was observed on the ceiling in summer, whereas salt crystallization occurred on the murals in the lower space in winter. The distribution of these diseases was influenced by the airflow exchange between the interior and exterior. Furthermore, the structural disparities between the two tombs contributed to higher relative humidity and greater microorganism coverage in the Shunling Tomb compared to the Qinling Tomb. From the abovementioned findings, we suggest that microclimate control is essential for mitigating mural deterioration and should be paid more attention in the future.

Metagenomic analysis reveals taxonomic and functional diversity of microbial communities on the deteriorated wall paintings of Qinling Tomb in the Southern Tang Dynasty, China

The microbial colonization on ancient murals attracts more and more attention since the threaten by microorganisms was first reported in Lascaux, Spain. However, the biodeterioration or biodegradation of mural paintings resulted by microorganisms is not clear yet. Especially the biological function of microbial communities in different conditions remained largely unaddressed. The two mausoleums of the Southern Tang Dynasty are the largest group of emperor mausoleums during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in China, which are of great significance to the study of the architecture, imperial mausoleum systems and art in the Tang and Song Dynasties. To make clear the species composition and metabolic functions of different microbial communities (MID and BK), we analyzed the samples from the wall paintings in one of the two mausoleums of the Southern Tang Dynasty with metagenomics method. The result showed totally 55 phyla and 1729 genera were detected in the mural paintings. The two microbial community structure were similar with the dominance of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Cyanobacteria. However, the species abundance presented a significant difference between two communities at genus level --- MID is Lysobacter, Luteimonas are predominant in MID while Sphingomonas and Streptomyces are popular in BK, which is partially attributed to the different substrate materials of murals. As a result, the two communities presented the different metabolic patterns that MID community was mainly participated in the formation of biofilm as well as the degradation of exogenous pollutants while the BK was predominantly related to the photosynthesis process and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Taken together, these findings indicated the effect of environmental factor on the taxonomic composition and functional diversity of the microbial populations. The installation of artificial lighting needs to be considered carefully in the future protection of cultural relics.

Aristocratic Families in the Jianghuai Region during the Tang-Song Interregnum

Abstract With an emphasis on the Jianghuai region, this article aims to study the activities of aristocratic families during the Tang-Song Interregnum. Some aristocratic families managed to survive but were no longer in a position to carry out the cultural functions they had performed during the Tang dynasty. Based on the discussions undertaken by the article, aristocratic families played no evident role in political and cultural domains during the reign of Yang Wu and the Southern Tang. As such, total disappearance of the political and cultural capabilities of this privileged class in the Jianghuai region may have already taken place prior to the founding of the Southern Tang.

Temperature and Moisture Gradients Drive the Shifts of the Bacterial Microbiomes in 1000-Year-Old Mausoleums

Cultural relics conservation and prevention from bacterial deterioration are critical for our historical heritage. Thus far, the variations of the ecophysiological features of deteriorating bacterial communities along gradients of temperature and moisture remain unclear. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing to investigate the changing pattern of bacterial communities on bricks at different positions along two such gradients in the Two Mausoleums of the Southern Tang Dynasty, which have more than 1000 years of history. We found that the tombs were inhabited by a phylogenetically and functionally diverse bacterial microbiomes. Herein, Proteobacteria (34.5%), Cyanobacteria (31.3%), Bacteroidetes (7.8%) and Actinobacteria (7.4%), as well as ‘Amino Acid Metabolism (11.2%)’ and ‘Carbohydrate Metabolism (10.5%)’ accounted for the majorities of their compositional and functional profiles related to biodeterioration. Non-metric scaling in combination with PERMANOVA tests indicated that shifts in bacterial community compositions were governed by temperature, followed by moisture. In addition, we found that tourism-related anthropogenic activities could have played non-negligible roles in community assembly, especially in the areas that account as attractions (i.e., back room of the Qinling Mausoleum). Collectively, this study advances the knowledge regarding the deteriorating microbiomes of cultural monuments, which is essential for the conservation of historical cultural relics.

Enriching Song literati culture: With an emphasis on the four treasures of the study (Wenfang Sibao) of the Southern Tang

Enriching Song literati culture: With an emphasis on the four treasures of the study (<i>Wenfang Sibao</i>) of the Southern Tang

Negotiating Dynastic Divide: The Textual Life of a Southern Tang Official Under the Song

Abstract China’s period of disunion in the tenth century posed moral challenges to individuals navigating the complex and unstable political situation. Later historians exploited the ambiguities of these challenges in giving their own assessments of those times, resulting in a complex array of assertions on matters pertaining to the Southern Tang. Appraisal of the character of the official Xu Xuan includes criticism around his work on the history of the Southern Tang and his meetings with the Song emperor Taizu. Accounts of Xu Xuan’s conduct evolved in meaning over time as existing material found its way into new compilations and contexts. Tracing the course of these changes reveals how the history of the Southern Tang served the varying purposes of Song writers.

On the Civil Transformation of the Southern Tang (937–976)

This article aims to elaborate on the efforts made by Xu Zhigao and his descendants to implement a new practice that recruited local literati to positions of power as well as the extent to which the practice helped facilitate civil transformation and civil administration for their regime. One important way to achieve civil transformation was to bureaucratize the local administration, which involved staffing the mechanism with civil officials. After succeeding in the civil service examinations, local literati of humble origin could take advantage of this possibility for prosperity and honor their families by means of becoming part of the bureaucracy. However, the life span of the Southern Tang was limited to only thirty-nine years. Except for the relatively low number of those who successfully passed the civil service examinations, most of the meritorious officials and official families still considered relying on the protection privilege to be the ideal way to launch the bureaucratic careers of their descendants. Therefore, although the civil service examinations may have exerted some positive impact on civil transformation and civil administration, the advantages did not last long enough to thoroughly change the administrative feature of the Southern Tang.

Effects of different light wavelengths on mold growth in tomb

The Second Mausoleum of the Southern Tang Dynasty have a history of more than 1,000 years in China. Since its opening in 1984, the building materials and murals inside the tomb have been severely damaged by mold. Field investigation found that the mold growth on the wall illuminated by the light in the tomb was more flourishing than that in the area without the light. Lighting in the tomb is inevitable for the exhibition. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to clarify the effects of different light wavelengths on the growth of mold in the tomb, and provide the theoretical basis for the lighting design in the tomb chamber. This study is divided into two parts, including in-situ experiment and laboratory experiment. In the in-situ experiment, four kinds of light wavelengths (white, red, blue, and green) were set in the tomb chamber to observe the difference of mold growth on the mural wall. The concentration of phototrophs propagules on different auricular walls was estimated in the laboratory.The results showed that different light sources had different effects on microbial community composition in the tomb site and the red light had better inhibition effect on fungi and actinobacteria.

The Cultural Authoritarian Policies in the Early Song Dynasty and the Study of Li Yu

近世文&#23398;史之李煜&#30740;究, 皆失于考据, &#36825;直接影&#21709;到其人物&#35780;价、 作品解&#35835;&#19982;思想&#35780;价。 而李煜史料&#19982;作品的大量散佚, 人物形象所受到的歪曲、 丑化及政治&#33080;&#35889;的形成, &#19982;宋初&#20005;酷的文禁政策有着密切的&#20851;&#32852;。 宋初的政治文化在“斯文之盛”的背后, 充&#28385;着&#19987;制&#19982;暴力。 北宋通&#36807;&#36739;前代更&#20026;柔婉的方式, &#36816;用更富策略的政治手段, &#38544;秘含蓄的推&#36827;着文化&#19987;制&#36798;到空前的地步, 包括：文化&#22404;&#26029;、 中央刻&#20070;、 承旨修史、 大&#20852;文字&#29425;、 特&#21153;政治等等。 文章以&#36739;多篇幅&#35770;述宋初的文禁政策, 足以&#35777;明宋史多&#34394;妄, 及前代史料受其干&#25200;之甚。 在李煜&#19982;南唐文史&#30740;究中, 必&#39035;注意分辨, 在着力搜求史料的基&#30784;上, 努力回溯原始史料, 遵循考据&#23398;方法, &#23613;力&#36824;原&#24182;接近本&#30495;的文&#23398;史人物及作品, &#32473;予其&#24212;有的&#35780;价, 在反思&#19982;批判中推&#21160;文&#23398;史&#23398;科的科&#23398;&#21457;展。The lack of textual research on Li Yu in the history of literature since modern times has a direct impact on the evaluation for Li Yu character, ideological, and also for his work interpretation. Moreover, a huge loss of historical materials about Li Yu and his works, the distortion of the characters’ images and the shaping of “political masks” were all closely associated with the harsh cultural autocratic policies in the early Song dynasty. So, the political culture in that time was full of despotism and violence. And the early Song dynasty pushed the cultural autocracy to an unprecedented level through a softer and more euphemistic way and more strategic political means than the previous dynasties. These include: cultural monopoly, central engraving, tamper with history according to the emperor s will, widely developed literary inquisition, established secret services, and so on. This paper discusses the policy of banning literature in early Song dynasty, which proves that the history of this dynasty is mostly false and falsified, and the historical materials of former dynasties are greatly disturbed by it. In the study of Li Yu and the Southern Tang dynasty’s historical material and literatures, we must pay attention to the distinction, on the basis of searching for historical materials, try to trace back to the original historical materials, follow the method of textual criticism, try our best to restore and close to the true literary characters and works, give their due evaluation, and promote the development of the literary history in a scientific way with reflection and criticism.

從測字故事看南北朝及唐代上流社會的漢字崇拜文化

測字故事就是以測字及驗證爲主要故事結構的故事, 中國人對於文字的崇拜由來已久, 特別是與文字有不解之緣的文人階層。他們相信夢境中出現的漢字能勾表達出神的意志, 因此具備某種神祕的力量。『太平廣記』「夢部」的測字故事反映出南北朝及唐朝時期中國文人階層對於漢字的崇拜心理。從測字的方式可以看出人們對於漢字的崇拜涉及到字形、字音、字義、與文字相關的物象等四個方面。在各種預兆中, 凶兆大部分時預示人的死亡；吉兆大部分都與及第、獲得官職、升官(包括掌權)相關。這與夢者的身分有很大的關系, 因爲夢者大部分爲文人士子與王室宗親, 可見文字崇拜得到了上流階層的認可, 而且人們將漢字與自己人生的大事, 包括生死與人生理想聯系到了一起。另外, 不僅夢者, 連測字之人中文人士子所占的比重也是是最多的, 對漢字的聯想分析與理解闡釋也是文人學識的一種表現。文人群體對漢字的崇拜現象, 主要有三個表現, 一是人們相信漢字具有預知未來的力量；二是統治階級一方面相信漢字能勾對政治統治産生輔助作用, 另一方面又對漢字與輿論的關系十分看重幷加以利用。三是人們將漢字崇拜與民間巫術結合起來, 相信不僅是漢字, 與漢字相關的物象, 包括筆、書籍、符咒等也都具有神祕的力量。

A Failed Peripheral Hegemonic State with a Limited Mandate of Heaven: Politico-Historical Reflections of a Survivor of the Southern Tang

A Failed Peripheral Hegemonic State with a Limited Mandate of Heaven: Politico-Historical Reflections of a Survivor of the Southern Tang

A Textual Research into Que(闕)of Pang(旁) in Shuowenjiezi(≪說文解字≫)

There are different explanations of Que(闕) of Pang(旁) in Shuowenjiezi(說文解字). Scholars not only had different understanding of the cause of its creation and different interpretations of its definition, but also differed greatly in the explanations of Que(闕) and in supplement to it since Song Dynasty. Some scholars consider that Que(闕)originates from Shuowenjiezi(≪說文解字≫). For instance, Xu, Kai(徐?)in Southern Tang believes that without teacher`s explanation of `Cong Shang`(從上)of Pang(旁), Xu, Shen(許愼) notes Que(闕). Duan, Yucai(段玉裁) and Wang, Yun(王筠) in Qing Dynasty believe that Xu, Shen(許愼)is not konwing well “□” in Pang(旁)causes using Que(闕); while others such as Yan, Kejun(嚴可均) and Yao, Wentian(姚文田) in Qing Dynasty consider that Que(闕) does not originate from Shuowenjiezi(≪說文解字≫). It is added by later scholars. They analyze that Que(闕) is added for the lost part in Shuowenjiezi(≪說文解字≫) by collators. Based on the form of Pang(旁) on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty and ancient bronze objects,and Chinese character studies of“tongyi”(同意), this article sorts out the intention of its creation and evolution process of Pang`s(旁) form and then analyzes the origin of Que(闕) of Pang(旁). From the former research, it is believed that the Que (闕) of Pang(旁) is caused by the gradual change of the forms of Chinese characters, and created by Xu, Shen(許愼).

On the Unification Plans of the Southern Tang Dynasty

On the Unification Plans of the Southern Tang Dynasty

A Regional Cultural Tradition in Song China: "The Four Treasures of the Study of the Southern Tang" ('Nan Tang wenfang sibao')

A Regional Cultural Tradition in Song China: "The Four Treasures of the Study of the Southern Tang" ('Nan Tang wenfang sibao')

The rebellion of Zhang Yuxian 張遇賢 (942–943)

AbstractThis paper is about a rebellion in southern China in the first half of the tenth century and its depiction in historical sources from the tenth to the seventeenth centuries. At the core of this study is Zhang Yuxian, the rebel leader, and his allegiance to a spirit. The latter suggested moving from Guangdong, the territory of the Southern Han empire (917–971), and the original area of the rebellion, to Jiangxi, the territory of the Southern Tang empire (937–976). The approach of the paper is twofold: first, it examines the historical setting and context; and second, through a close reading of some of the major features of the sources, such as the labelling of Zhang as ayaozei, the adoption of red clothes by the rebels, and so forth, the essay makes evident the close relationship and dependency between successive historical texts.

From restoration to unification: legitimacy and loyalty in the writings of Xu Xuan (917–992)

AbstractWorks produced by Xu Xuan, a Chinese scholar-official of the tenth century, on either side of the Southern Tang–Song divide reveal the challenges on the issue of loyalty he faced in serving more than one state. Xu's works suggest that a personal transfer of service brought complications for any official seeking to write about the past, but these could be addressed according to context. Under the Song, the requirements of the new orthodoxy forced compromises and concessions in the sentiments he expressed, but he was still able to maintain reverence for the Southern Tang and its achievements.

On the Southern Tang Imperial Genealogy

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; The present essay deals with the fabrication of the imperial genealogy of the Southern Tang state (937–976). A means of linking the Southern Tang founder Li Bian (r. 937–943) to the Tang, it helped establish Southern Tang claims to the Tang heritage. Though no original fabricated genealogy survives, variant forms have been handed down through a number of texts starting in the early Northern Song period. These are discussed in terms of their plausibility, marking the Jiang- nan lu (979) by Xu Xuan (916–991) as the officially accepted description and the Zizhi tongjian (1184) version as the most “believable” of all fake Southern Tang genealogies.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms ed. by Peter Lorge (review)

Reviewed by: Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms ed. by Peter Lorge Nicolas Tackett Peter Lorge, editor. Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. Hong Kong: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. $52.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-962-996-418-4. This edited volume is a welcome contribution to the burgeoning field of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms studies. The book begins with an “Introduction” by the editor, who argues forcefully for treating the tenth century as more than a mere blip between two great dynasties. The century was marked by [End Page 377] important developments that had a lasting impact on the politics, culture, and intellectual trends of the subsequent Song dynasty. Moreover, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period is interesting as a “heuristic unit” (p. 5), partly by revealing why “having a center did matter” (p. 10), and why the decline of a hegemonic center could spur regionalism and innovation alike. The “Introduction” is followed by seven articles, all written by specialists of the Middle Period (including the two authors of the “Five Dynasties” and “Southern Kingdoms” chapters of the recent Volume 5, Part One, of the Cambridge History of China). Naomi Standen’s article provides an excellent case example in support of a thesis she first proposed in her monograph Unbounded Loyalty—that the transition from the Five Dynasties to the Song involved a transformation in notions of loyalty, from one based on reciprocal and conditional master-servant relationships to one based on “single-master loyalty.” Standen focuses on a detailed analysis of the career of Zhao Dejun 趙德鈞, who served under a series of regime leaders before turning against the Later Tang on the eve of its overthrow by Zhao’s rival, the Later Jin founder Shi Jingtang 石敬瑭. By comparing accounts of Zhao’s career in the earlier tenth-century history Jiu Wudai shi 舊五代史 with accounts in the eleventh-century chronicle Zizhi tongjian 資治通鑑, Standen provides good evidence that changing ideas of loyalty led to a later revisionist critique of Zhao’s apparent disloyalty. The next piece, by Hugh Clark, explores the “rogues” and “scoundrels” who founded the new regimes emerging in the post-Huang Chao era. Clark is especially interested in assessing these men and their activities from the perspective of classic theories of peasant rebellions, by Eric Hobsbawm and others. He pays particular attention to Qian Liu 錢鏐, Yang Xingmi 楊行密, Wang Jian 王建, Wang Chao 王潮, and Liu Yin 劉隱, founders of five of the southern kingdoms. Most of such men were “outlaws” in the sense that their bases of power lay entirely outside both the regular bureaucracy of the Tang and the provincial jiedushi 節度使 governments. To what extent were such men “primitive rebels”? To what extent were they mere predators? Johannes Kurz then gives us a new biography of Han Xizai 韓熙載, one of the more important officials of the Southern Tang state and the subject of an infamous painting depicting his night revels. Rather than focusing exclusively on his decadent private life, for which Han Xizai remains well-known to this day in popular culture, Kurz also provides an overview of Han’s early life and of his career. He suggests that Han may have been unfairly criticized—Han’s [End Page 378] hedonism may have constituted a stratagem for avoiding office; moreover, scandalous evening gatherings were not at all atypical of Southern Tang literati culture. De-nin Lee, in her piece, seeks to complicate existing accounts of the development of painting during the Tang-Song interregnum by looking beyond the established canon centered on the courts of Shu and Southern Tang. Lee’s focus is on the stunning early Liao murals from Baoshan 寶山 Tomb 2, excavated in Inner Mongolia in the early 1990s. On the basis of poems inscribed onto the tomb wall, she interprets the more prominent painting—of several elegant ladies in an exotic garden setting—as representing the story of the loyal wife Su Hui 蘇蕙 (of the Jin dynasty). This mural suggests the need both to appreciate the heterogeneity of tenth-century painting, and to recognize that Shu and Southern Tang were neither the only bastions of Tang culture, nor the primary sites of artistic innovation. Ruth Mostern’s article assesses the ways in which the...