《Encountering Mountains: Traversing the Ink-Wash Chronospace of Chinese Painting》This book is positioned as a "light reading" cultural popularization work. The author has long immersed herself in the realm of traditional Chinese painting, meticulously selecting representative masterpieces from various renowned Chinese artists for interpretation. Featuring 100 ancient paintings accompanied by 100 concise essays, each rich in knowledge, literary merit, and interest, it offers readers both aesthetic pleasure and spiritual enlightenment.
From one perspective, this work serves as a highly readable history of Chinese painting. Spanning from the Wei and Jin dynasties to the Late Qing and Early Republican periods, the author skillfully interweaves the social context, political environment, stylistic characteristics, lineage, and the personalities of the artists behind these paintings within the succinct narratives. The research is thorough and rigorous, while the prose flows smoothly and elegantly.
Volume I Encountering Mountains
Paintings to the ultimate perfection……………………003
The Gossip ofTang Xuanzong……………………………008
Draft of Wealth……………………………………012
In Mountains and rivers lies the essence of nature………016
Snow fall on Withered Bamboo………………………020
Bestow a Branch ofSpring………………………024
Lofty Peaks andImperial Power…………………027
Encountering Mountains……………………………031
The Mysterious Wordless Stele…………………035
Beautiful Stones and Cannon Fodder……………………039
Fish Frolicking……………………………………044
Pape Sculpture………………………………049
The Similarities with Western Still Object……………053
Stage on the Furrows…………………………056
The Shadowy Figure of Silk…………………………059
Melody ofZen aesthetic and Mountains Rivers………063
Esoteric Words ofYin-Yang…………068
Snow……………………072
Useless Fable………………………076
Cultivating Vitality and Cultivating Painting……081
The Recluse's Return………………………086
Nostalgia In Quancheng...................................................... 090
Poetic Black Gong.............................................................................. 095
The Immortal Forges Jade................................................................. 099
Hard folds............................................................................................ 103
Volume II Returning at Dusk
Love between Human and Deity ...................................................... 109
Prologue of Landscape....................................................................... 114
The Free Declaration of a Horse ...................................................... 119
Flowers of High Tang Dynasty ......................................................... 124
Absurd shell, helpless core ................................................................. 128
Paradise, natural charm, innocence .................................................. 133
Egret Calling for Help ....................................................................... 138
Entertainment on the Back of an Ox ............................................... 142
The Most Exclusive Gathering in History ...................................... 146
Freedom in the Mountains and Fields............................................. 151
The Family of Zhong Kui.................................................................. 154
Sweet Dew and Willow Twigs........................................................... 159
The Legacy of Ma Yuan..................................................................... 162
Autumn Tints of Maple Leaves........................................................ 166
The Profound Meaning of Crossing the River................................ 170
The West Wind Rises........................................................................ 175
Three Seals.......................................................................................... 178
Hide and Seek in the Imperial Garden............................................. 183
Autumn Fragrance in a Dream ......................................................... 187
Notes on a Secluded Life ................................................................... 192
Twilight ............................................................................................... 196
Plum Blossoms ................................................................................... 200
Spring in Guangling........................................................................... 204
Chorus................................................................................................. 208
A Shower and Some Ice ..................................................................... 212
Volume III Strolling and Reciting
The Idol of Su Dongpo...................................................................... 219
Sleeping Dragons and Thousand Steeds.......................................... 222
Silence at This Moment..................................................................... 227
The Imperial Son in Law's Detachment from
Worldly Concerns .............................................................................. 230
Work Notes of a Physician................................................................. 234
The Banished Immortal..................................................................... 238
Portrait of the Silent One .................................................................. 242
Cold Incense ....................................................................................... 246
Meditations on Bell Chimes After Rain .......................................... 249
The Green of Jin and Tang Dynasties.............................................. 253
Across the River.................................................................................. 258
Longing for Forest and Spring.......................................................... 261
Ni Scholar's Thatched Pavilion......................................................... 266
Crabs in Distress................................................................................. 270
Tea Affairs in the Mountains ............................................................ 274
Sima Guang's Medicinal Herb Garden ........................................... 278
The Benevolent Are Deeply Grieved ............................................... 284
Poetic Remarks on Tea roasting........................................................ 288
Under the “Green Sky” ...................................................................... 292
Father and Son Legacy....................................................................... 296
Guanshou's Dreamland ..................................................................... 299
A Monk Painter of Heaven and Earth ............................................. 303
The Beauty's Women......................................................................... 307
Light and Shadow in the Bamboo Grove......................................... 311
The Fairy of Gu She........................................................................... 315
Volume IV Fingering a Flower
The Silent Winter .............................................................................. 321
Mad Ink Play ...................................................................................... 323
Heart in Communion with Trees and Rocks................................... 326
Rootless Trees, Vast Clouds............................................................... 330
Zen Master and Tiger........................................................................ 335
Push Jujube Mill ................................................................................ 339
The Flute Plays for the Moon........................................................... 343
Unrestrained Ink Wash...................................................................... 347
Facing the River Immortal ................................................................ 351
Starting from Sly Prank ..................................................................... 354
Clapping Hands and Big Feet Plum Blossom King........................ 358
Fisherman's Song ............................................................................... 362
Breaking into a Smile ......................................................................... 366
The Pond of Time and Space ............................................................ 370
Mi Gong's State of Mind................................................................... 374
Chant of Riding a Donkey................................................................. 378
A Mirror of the Secular World.......................................................... 382
Impasse ................................................................................................ 386
You Are Not a Fish, How Can You Know the Fish's Sorrow?....... 389
Kindred Spirits.................................................................................... 392
Philosophy of the Lotus..................................................................... 396
A Solitary Swan Beyond the Frontier............................................... 400
An Entry from an Autumn Excursion Diary................................... 403
Two Golden Pheasants Gazing at Each Other ............................... 406
Against the Current ........................................................................... 410
Postscript ............................................................................................ 413
Paintings to the ultimate perfection……………………003
The Gossip ofTang Xuanzong……………………………008
Draft of Wealth……………………………………012
In Mountains and rivers lies the essence of nature………016
Snow fall on Withered Bamboo………………………020
Bestow a Branch ofSpring………………………024
Lofty Peaks andImperial Power…………………027
Encountering Mountains……………………………031
The Mysterious Wordless Stele…………………035
Beautiful Stones and Cannon Fodder……………………039
Fish Frolicking……………………………………044
Pape Sculpture………………………………049
The Similarities with Western Still Object……………053
Stage on the Furrows…………………………056
The Shadowy Figure of Silk…………………………059
Melody ofZen aesthetic and Mountains Rivers………063
Esoteric Words ofYin-Yang…………068
Snow……………………072
Useless Fable………………………076
Cultivating Vitality and Cultivating Painting……081
The Recluse's Return………………………086
Nostalgia In Quancheng...................................................... 090
Poetic Black Gong.............................................................................. 095
The Immortal Forges Jade................................................................. 099
Hard folds............................................................................................ 103
Volume II Returning at Dusk
Love between Human and Deity ...................................................... 109
Prologue of Landscape....................................................................... 114
The Free Declaration of a Horse ...................................................... 119
Flowers of High Tang Dynasty ......................................................... 124
Absurd shell, helpless core ................................................................. 128
Paradise, natural charm, innocence .................................................. 133
Egret Calling for Help ....................................................................... 138
Entertainment on the Back of an Ox ............................................... 142
The Most Exclusive Gathering in History ...................................... 146
Freedom in the Mountains and Fields............................................. 151
The Family of Zhong Kui.................................................................. 154
Sweet Dew and Willow Twigs........................................................... 159
The Legacy of Ma Yuan..................................................................... 162
Autumn Tints of Maple Leaves........................................................ 166
The Profound Meaning of Crossing the River................................ 170
The West Wind Rises........................................................................ 175
Three Seals.......................................................................................... 178
Hide and Seek in the Imperial Garden............................................. 183
Autumn Fragrance in a Dream ......................................................... 187
Notes on a Secluded Life ................................................................... 192
Twilight ............................................................................................... 196
Plum Blossoms ................................................................................... 200
Spring in Guangling........................................................................... 204
Chorus................................................................................................. 208
A Shower and Some Ice ..................................................................... 212
Volume III Strolling and Reciting
The Idol of Su Dongpo...................................................................... 219
Sleeping Dragons and Thousand Steeds.......................................... 222
Silence at This Moment..................................................................... 227
The Imperial Son in Law's Detachment from
Worldly Concerns .............................................................................. 230
Work Notes of a Physician................................................................. 234
The Banished Immortal..................................................................... 238
Portrait of the Silent One .................................................................. 242
Cold Incense ....................................................................................... 246
Meditations on Bell Chimes After Rain .......................................... 249
The Green of Jin and Tang Dynasties.............................................. 253
Across the River.................................................................................. 258
Longing for Forest and Spring.......................................................... 261
Ni Scholar's Thatched Pavilion......................................................... 266
Crabs in Distress................................................................................. 270
Tea Affairs in the Mountains ............................................................ 274
Sima Guang's Medicinal Herb Garden ........................................... 278
The Benevolent Are Deeply Grieved ............................................... 284
Poetic Remarks on Tea roasting........................................................ 288
Under the “Green Sky” ...................................................................... 292
Father and Son Legacy....................................................................... 296
Guanshou's Dreamland ..................................................................... 299
A Monk Painter of Heaven and Earth ............................................. 303
The Beauty's Women......................................................................... 307
Light and Shadow in the Bamboo Grove......................................... 311
The Fairy of Gu She........................................................................... 315
Volume IV Fingering a Flower
The Silent Winter .............................................................................. 321
Mad Ink Play ...................................................................................... 323
Heart in Communion with Trees and Rocks................................... 326
Rootless Trees, Vast Clouds............................................................... 330
Zen Master and Tiger........................................................................ 335
Push Jujube Mill ................................................................................ 339
The Flute Plays for the Moon........................................................... 343
Unrestrained Ink Wash...................................................................... 347
Facing the River Immortal ................................................................ 351
Starting from Sly Prank ..................................................................... 354
Clapping Hands and Big Feet Plum Blossom King........................ 358
Fisherman's Song ............................................................................... 362
Breaking into a Smile ......................................................................... 366
The Pond of Time and Space ............................................................ 370
Mi Gong's State of Mind................................................................... 374
Chant of Riding a Donkey................................................................. 378
A Mirror of the Secular World.......................................................... 382
Impasse ................................................................................................ 386
You Are Not a Fish, How Can You Know the Fish's Sorrow?....... 389
Kindred Spirits.................................................................................... 392
Philosophy of the Lotus..................................................................... 396
A Solitary Swan Beyond the Frontier............................................... 400
An Entry from an Autumn Excursion Diary................................... 403
Two Golden Pheasants Gazing at Each Other ............................... 406
Against the Current ........................................................................... 410
Postscript ............................................................................................ 413
Wang Yixin is a Master's degree holder and a best-selling author. He serves as a mentor at the University of Southern California and as a visiting professor at Xi'an Foreign Affairs University, in addition to being an external mentor at Taishan University of Science and Technology and Jinzhong Information College. He is a member of the Shaanxi Writers Association, the Chinese Novel Association, and the Jiangsu Writers Academy, as well as a trainee at the Lu Xun Academy of Literature.
Wang has translated and published 12 books, including "The Self and the Ego," "The Odyssey," "Hofburg Palace," "Royal Palace of Madrid," "Alhambra," "Encyclopedia of Cats," and "The History of Visual Arts of Nintendo." Additionally, he has authored and published 22 works, such as "Biography of Su Xun," "Biography of Yang Jiang," "Gaslight Effect," "Watching National Treasures with Children," and "Comic Water Margin for Kids." His writings have appeared in over a hundred publications, including notable magazines such as "Zhiyin," "Yanhe," "Meiwen," and "Peony." He has been recognized with honors, including being named one of the Fourth Batch of Shaanxi Young Literary Stars.