Introduction: A Masterpiece Through the Ages

The iconic “Along the River During the Qingming Festival” painting by Zhang Zeduan of the Northern Song Dynasty spawned numerous copies and variations across subsequent dynasties, creating a unique artistic tradition. Among the dozens of surviving versions, three stand out as particularly significant: Zhang Zeduan’s original (displayed at Beijing’s Palace Museum in 2015), Qiu Ying’s Ming Dynasty version (housed in Liaoning Provincial Museum), and the Qing court version by five imperial painters (Chen Mei, Sun Hu, Jin Kun, Dai Hong, and Cheng Zhidao) now in Taipei’s National Palace Museum.

While all three bear the same title, they depict fundamentally different urban landscapes reflecting their respective historical periods. Zhang’s work portrays Northern Song’s Bianjing (modern Kaifeng), Qiu Ying’s version actually shows late Ming Suzhou, and the Qing court painters referenced Beijing of their time. These variations offer fascinating insights into how Chinese urban governance evolved from the Song through Ming to Qing dynasties.

City Gates: Open Commerce vs. Military Control

The treatment of city gates reveals stark differences in urban priorities. In Zhang’s Song version, the gate stands completely undefended – no soldiers, no fortifications, even with a collapsed section of wall left unrepaired. Inside, only a commercial tax office operates near the entrance, collecting duties from merchants. A civilian casually leans from the gate tower observing street activity below.

Contrast this with Qiu Ying’s Ming depiction: towering walls with battlements, an outer palisade before the gate, and an additional fortified “wengcheng” (barbican) inside. The water gate similarly features heavy security. Beyond lies a military garrison displaying weapons and stern warnings: “Defend the city,” “Interrogate spies,” and “Left entrance, right exit.” The Ming implemented strict travel documents (“luyin”) requiring official permits for any journey beyond 100 li (about 50 km), with severe penalties for violations.

The Qing version continues this militarized approach with even more imposing walls, palisades, barbicans, and identical warning placards. Where Song officials focused on commercial taxation, their Ming and Qing counterparts prioritized security control.

Nightlife: Vibrant Evenings vs. Strict Curfews

Street-level details reveal contrasting approaches to urban nightlife. Ming and Qing versions consistently show one distinctive feature absent in Zhang’s original – neighborhood gates and palisades. These became standard during Ming Hongzhi’s reign (1488-1505), as noted by Jesuit Matteo Ricci. By Qing Kangxi’s era (1662-1722), regulations mandated their installation citywide with strict curfews – violators faced flogging.

These barriers supported draconian curfew laws. From approximately 8:10 PM (“first watch, third point”) until dawn, streets were closed, with exceptions only for emergencies. The Qing-era “Guanglin Jokes” contains dark humor about this system, where a slow walker gets arrested for inevitably violating curfew given his pace.

Zhang’s Song painting shows no such restrictions. Contemporary records like “Dreams of Splendor of the Eastern Capital” describe vibrant nightlife with businesses operating around the clock. The painting’s “Red Gauze Gardenia Lanterns” outside wine shops and illuminated advertisements (like “Sun Yang Zhengdian” hotel’s three lighted signs) confirm this nighttime commerce. As the text notes, “By evening, candles blaze brilliantly, illuminating all levels…wine houses and markets operate continuously day and night regardless of weather.”

Social Welfare: Mobile Assistance vs. Residence Control

Treatment of marginalized groups further distinguishes these urban visions. Zhang’s version includes a beggar – an old woman soliciting coins on a bridge – reflecting Song’s mobile society with its welfare systems. The Northern Song established seasonal relief programs like the “Nourishing Beggars Law” (winter grain distributions) and “Shelter Law” (state-run hospices), assisting the poor regardless of origin.

Qiu Ying’s Ming version conspicuously omits beggars, reflecting different social policies. While maintaining welfare institutions, Ming prioritized local responsibility through the lijia system. The 1397 “Great Ming Code” mandated native-place authorities care for their poor, while intercepting and repatriating “outsider” beggars – what Japanese scholar Fuma Susumu calls a “reality-denying policy.”

Interestingly, the Qing version reintroduces beggars – three kneeling at an intersection. This coincides with mid-Qing policy shifts allowing local relief for registered transients, marking partial return to Song-style “reality-acknowledging” approaches.

Public Space: Royal Gardens Open to All

Perhaps the most striking difference appears in depictions of Jinming Pool, the imperial pleasure garden. Zhang’s original (likely incomplete) stops at the urban center, while Ming and Qing versions extend to show this landmark – but as an exclusive, walled preserve hosting sparse courtly activities.

Historical records describe Song’s Jinming Pool very differently. From March 1 to April 8 annually, it opened to commoners for spectacular water performances and dragon boat races. “Dreams of Splendor” recounts massive public attendance even during imperial appearances – a striking contrast to later dynasties’ closed gardens.

Conclusion: The Song Urban Legacy

Through these comparative details – open gates versus military checkpoints, vibrant nightlife versus strict curfews, mobile welfare versus residence controls, public versus exclusive royal spaces – we glimpse profound differences in urban governance. The Song city emerges as remarkably open and commercially oriented, with policies fostering economic activity and relatively free movement. Ming and Qing versions reflect more controlled, security-conscious urban models.

As the text concludes, this analysis reveals why many find Song cities particularly compelling – their dynamic combination of economic vitality, social mobility and public accessibility created urban environments that in some ways presaged modern cities. These paintings thus serve not just as artistic masterpieces, but as invaluable historical documents capturing China’s evolving urban philosophies across nearly eight centuries.