[Hsin-yueh Art Lecture] Chinese Art Appreciation: The Arrival of the Great Ch'ing Dynasty!

On June 6, 1644 (the second day of the fifth month of the first year of Shun-chih), the third emperor of the Great Ch'ing Empire, Shun-chih, entered Peking and became the new master of the Forbidden City. From then on, the Ming Dynasty was officially declared extinct, and the Jurchens from the northeast became the new rulers of China.

After the establishment of the Great Ch'ing Empire, everything became different from the past. Because the Jurchens had no historical baggage and no millennia-old Confucian tradition, they were curious about everything—not only Han Chinese culture but also all things from the West. Everything was re-fused into a completely new state.

From every perspective, the culture and art of the Ch'ing Dynasty were unique: both traditional and conservative, yet chasing new trends. All possibilities unfolded over the 300-year history of the Great Ch'ing Empire, becoming a great transitional period connecting to modernity.
From the structural logic of Chinese architecture to the visual revolution of Western portraiture, we invite you to witness those key moments that changed history.