Peach Blossom Spring in the Manner of Zhao Danian

In Tao Yuanming’s story The Peach Blossom Spring, a fisherman sails up a spring and comes upon a grove of blossoming peach trees. After navigating a narrow entrance through the trees, he is suddenly dazzled by the sight of a village. The townspeople welcome him, telling him the story of their ancestors who settled in this hidden place to avoid the social turmoil of the Qin dynasty (221–207 bce). The fisherman enjoys their hospitality for a few days before saying goodbye. He records landmarks on his way back home, but can never again find the peach blossom spring.

The painting narrates this scene. From the right, it shows the peach blossom spring, villagers greeting the fisherman, and scenes from the peaceful village. Here people guide deer, carry a zither (qin), hold children, cross a bridge, weave yarn, watch gods and a rooster, till fields, and return home. This eighteenth-century work, a copy of a painting by Zhao Da’nian (active. 1067–1100), also copies the signature of Ming-dynasty painter Qiu Shifu (Qiu Ying), which was added later.