Recording the Grandeur of the Qing

Project website External link

Topic Index External link

The 268-year duration of the Qing dynasty was dominated by the rule of two monarchs: the Kangxi Emperor, who reigned from 1662 to 1722, and his grandson, the Qianlong Emperor, who reigned from 1736 to 1796. These two emperors, each of whom reigned for about 60 years, would set the course of Qing history and in large part create the political, economic, and cultural legacy inherited by modern China.

The Kangxi and Quinlong emperors both undertook multiple tours of inspection to all corners of the empire and each commissioned a monumental set of scrolls to record one of these tours.  These mammoth works of art provide a unique and vivid glimpse into the grandeur of late imperial China.  Four of these inspection tour scrolls (three of which are in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City) are the focus of this web site.