By Li Xinyi, compiled and reported
The Palace Museum's collection of Qing Dynasty river management maps and related archives is quite extensive. In addition to records on regulating the Yellow River, Huai River, and Grand Canal, as well as dredging and reinforcing levees and other hydraulic projects, they also feature memorials submitted by local officials. The exhibition specially highlights an imperial edict from Emperor Qianlong praising a river official’s achievements. It offers a rare glimpse into the Qianlong Emperor's personal attention to hydraulic projects. The special display at the Palace Museum kicked off today and will run until September 16, 2012.
Qing Dynasty Governor of Jiangnan Rivers, Qing Lin, authored works such as "Hongxue Yin Yuan Tu Ji" and "Illustrated Treatise on River Works Tools," which are important resources for studying Qing Dynasty river defense engineering. (Image provided by the Palace Museum)
Traditionally, China has been an agrarian society, and the stable development of its agricultural economy has not only been the foundation of social stability and people’s livelihoods, but also a crucial basis for dynastic power and fiscal revenue. After the Manchus took control of the Central Plains, they continued the agricultural economic tradition upheld by previous dynasties. Drawing on the experiences of past river management, the Qing government not only developed more sophisticated knowledge in controlling river disasters, but also demonstrated further innovation and advancement in disaster prevention systems and engineering technology compared to earlier dynasties.
A hand-painted illustration of the Yellow River during the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty. (Image provided by the Palace Museum)
Among these, the massive flood in Yikao, Henan, in the 43rd year of Qianlong’s reign reveals, through memorials and official records, how the emperor and his ministers dealt with the threat of river disasters. During the Qianlong–Jiaqing era, when the Yongding River flooded, river officials' reports on dam repairs and engineering blueprints help us understand the unpredictable changes of rivers and how landscapes evolve through human intervention. The exhibition also introduces notable river management officials of the Qing Dynasty, including Jin Fu, Chen Huang, and Zhang Penghe from the Kangxi era; Qi Sule and Ji Zengyun from the Yongzheng era; Gao Bin, Ji Huang, and Kang Jitian under Qianlong’s rule; and Lin Zexu and Lin Qing from the Jiaqing and Daoguang periods. Among these renowned river officials were both Han Chinese and Manchus, as well as Mongolian officials, illustrating that river management in the Qing Dynasty transcended ethnicity and background.
Palace Museum official website: www.npm.gov.tw
● Extended reading: National Orchid Champion Announced, Floral Art Exhibition to Open on 2/24
www.tripass.net/article.php?op=articleinfo&articleid=7044