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 Ten
Scenes [
Historical Changes of Names
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Thirteenth century: emergence |
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The names of the Ten Scenes first appeared
in a book, Appreciation of Territorial Splendors方輿勝覽 of the thirteenth
century by Zhu Mu 祝穆. The sequence of their names is as follows: Autumn
Moon on the Peaceful Lake 平湖秋月, Spring
Morning on the Dike of Su Shi 蘇堤春曉, Remnant
Snows on Broken Bridge 斷橋殘雪, Reflection of the Sunset on Leifeng
Pagoda 雷峰落照, Evening
Tolling at South Hill 南屏晚鐘, Lotuses
in Breeze at the Brewery 麴院風荷, Watching
fish at Flower Port 花港觀魚, Listening
to Orioles in Willows 柳岸聞鶯, Three
Ponds Reflecting the Moon 三潭印月, and Two Peaks Rising into the
Clouds 兩峰插雲. Despite slight discrepancies with later versions (for
instance, people like Wu Zimu 吳自牧 provided different sequences of
scenes), this version established a set of recommended West Lake scenes
to which painters' and poets' eyes were drawn.
Around the same time, there were at least three Court-patronized
painters who each produced a series of Ten Scenes paintings. A little
later, four poets each wrote a series of poems dedicated to West Lake.
(West Lake Gazetteer, 143-161) [poems by Wang Wei 王洧] All these cultural
creations were produced by individuals who were either sponsored by
or close to the Imperial Court. It seems fair to say that the formation
of Ten Scenes in its early stage was a product of court taste. |
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Mid-Fourteenth Century:
an alternative version |
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| Toward the mid-fourteenth century, another
series of Ten Scenes appeared, known as the "Qiantang Ten Scenes"
錢塘十景: Misty Willows on Six Bridges 六橋煙柳 (Dike of Su Shi), Cloudy Pine
Trees of Nine Li九里雲松 (a road leading to Lingyi Temple), Woodcutters
Singing in Lingshi Hill 靈石樵歌 (area of Lingshi and Qipan 棋盤 Hills),
Apes Crying around the Cool Springs 冷泉猿嘯 (north side of Feilai Peak
飛來峰), Sunrise on Ge Hill葛嶺朝暾, Isolated Hill after Snow 孤山霽雪, Night
market of North Custom北關夜市, Autumn Tides of Qiantang River 浙江秋濤, White
Clouds in the Two Peaks 兩峰白雲, and The Moon in West Lake Night 西湖夜月.
(West Lake Gazetteer, 161-165) The context of this series' appearance
is unclear. According to Ling Yunhan's preface to a set of his own
poems for these Ten Scenes, it seemed to articulate local pride and
to prove a Prefect's success in administration. Territorial charms
were not regarded as gifts from nature, but as expressions of officials'
political achievements. (Ling, 2: 12a-13a) In any case, there were
several distinguishing characteristics of this series. First, it expanded
the range of recommended scenes to include the mountains around the
lake, in contrast to the former Ten Scenes that stressed on the lake.
Second, it recognized the fact that human activities could constitute
a scene. For example, a night market was included, and woodcutters'
singing was a constituent of the scene. Third, it did not seem to
inspire painting or poetry. There was no painter who took up these
scenes as subject of serial paintings in this period of time. Very
few (fewer than five) poets wrote a set of poems for these Ten Scenes
over the five hundreds years after they were first mentioned as a
group. [Ling Yuhan's 凌雲翰 and Gao Deyang's 高得暘 poems] |
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Sixteenth and Seventeenth
Centuries: popularization and the Emperor's attention |
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| The first version of the Ten Scenes was
popularized over this period in part because ten poets each wrote
a set of poems dedicated to it. In addition, two painters took the
Ten Scenes as the subject of their work. By this time, West Lake stood
independently from Hangzhou as the object of gazetteers. The Ten Scenes
were included in the West Lake gazetteers in the form of woodblock
illustrations. This trend continued over the ensuing centuries. With
the appearance of tourism-oriented books such as Hand -Drawn Mirror
Images of West Lake西湖手鏡, and the appropriation of Visiting and Seeing
West Lake: A Gazetteer西湖遊覽志 (which had been intended originally as
a gazetteer of Hangzhou), the first version of the Ten Scenes became
part of West Lake and of people's perception of the lake. Toward the
end of the seventeenth century, Emperor Kangxi's visit to West Lake
was influential. He renamed four of the Scenes, and conferred on each
scene his calligraphy of its name. Officials inscribed the Imperial
calligraphies onto steles and erected pavilions to shelter them. Two
of the Scenes were renamed by removing the intimations of decline
in their original names. Reflection of the Sunset on Leifeng Pagoda
became Leifeng Pagoda Facing the West 雷峰西照, and Evening Tolling at
South Hill was changed into Morning Tolling at South Hill. The Scenes
seemed to be rejuvenated thanks to Imperial benevolence. Indeed, the
importance of Imperial attention is implied in the tone of the preface
to Zhai Hao's Convenient Guidebook of the Lake and Mountains, even
though the book was concerned more with Emperor Qianlong and was published
sixty years after Emperor Kangxi's visit. Clearly, part of Kangxi's
motivation was to demonstrate his power, both to name the place, and
to convey firmly the message that West Lake was part of his empire.
For better or worse, his conferred designations were not widely accepted
by writers. Only in official gazetteers were accounts of the renaming
carefully described. (West Lake Gazetteer, 144) From this, it appears
that the Emperor's actions were not a dominant factor in forming the
perception of the West Lake landscape, even though his actions were
materialized in the form of calligraphies, steles, and pavilions. |
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Eighteenth Century: New
Scenes and, again, Imperial attention |
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Prefect Li Wei 李衛 produced another version
of recommended scenes after dredging the lake in 1731, probably as
a way to demonstrate his administrative accomplishments. This version
included eighteen scenes: Shrine for the Spring of Lake and Mountains
湖山春社 (south side of Qixia Hill 棲霞嶺), Lofty Memorial Arch of Deeds
and Virtues 功德崇坊 (outside the Qingbo Gate 清波門), Jade Belt and Bright
Rainbow 玉帶晴虹 (at Jinsha Port 金沙港), Rosy Clouds Extending from the
Sea 海霞西爽 (at Isolated Hill 孤山), Cranes Returning to the Forest of
Plum Trees 梅林歸鶴 (at Isolated Hill), Fish Pond and Autumn Lotuses 魚沼秋蓉
(at Three Ponds 三潭), Pine Cabin and Lotus Pond 蓮池松舍 (at Isolated Hill),
Pavilion of Divine Bird at Baoshi Hill 寶石鳳亭 (at Baoshi Hill), Military
Camps 亭灣騎射 (outside Yongjin Gate 湧金門), Playing Zither in front of
Banana-shaped Rocks 蕉石鳴琴 (at Dinjia Hill 丁家山), Fish Jumping in the
Jade Spring 玉泉魚躍 (at Jade Spring), Forest of Pines in Fenghuang Hill
鳳嶺松濤 (at Fenghuang and Wansong Hills 萬松嶺), Peaceful Sight in the Center
of the Lake 湖心平眺, Spectacles of Wu Hill 吳山大觀, Marketplace for Pilgrims
in Tianzhu Hills 天竺香市, Buddhist Path to Yunqi Temple 雲棲梵徑, Watching
Sea Tides at Taoguang Temple 韜光觀海, and Seeking Plums in West Brooks
西溪探梅. (West Lake Gazetteer, 165-171) Li Wei restored eleven of the
eighteen scenes. The restoration was not solely for tourist interest,
but also evidenced administrative concerns. For example, the scene
"Forest of Pines in Fenghuang Hill" did not look like a
forest before Li's administration, although according to written accounts,
it had earlier been a forest of "ten thousand pine trees."
What motivated Li Wei to restore its old appearance were suggestions
from his advisors and from local people, "The hill meets the
mountainous conduits from the city, and is located at a strategic
position on the north-south path. It is necessary to plant huge trees
here." It seems that the replanting of pine trees had two functions:
to allow the qi of the city circulate without blockage, and to mark
the place as a position of defensive importance.
Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795) visited Hangzhou and West Lake several
times. He wrote a poem for each of the Ten Scenes renamed by Emperor
Kangxi, and the eighteen scenes established by Li Wei. His writings
were not confined to these twenty-eight scenes. There were eleven
more places that enjoyed his appreciation in person. Together with
thirteen from Li Wei's eighteen scenes, these eleven constituted a
new series of recommended scenes, called "Twenty-four Scenes
of Hangzhou." The following sites were added: Garden of a Little
World 小有天園 (at the South Hill), Lake Pavilion of Yi Garden 漪園湖亭 (around
Leifeng Pagoda), Mountain House named Liuyu 留餘山居 (around the South
Peak), Folded Hills around Dragon Spring 簧嶺卷阿, Yinxiang Mansion 吟香別業
(at Isolated Hill), Old Cave of Auspicious Rocks 瑞石古洞 (at the slope
of Ziyang Hill紫陽山), Layered Green in Huanglong Hill 黃龍吐翠, Vista from
Incensing Terrace 香臺普觀 (at Ge Hill), Terrace of Pure Vision 澄觀臺 (at
Jiangtai Hill 將臺山), Liuhe Pagoda 六和塔, and Chamber of Continuing the
Past 述古堂 (at Xiling Seal Society 西泠印社). (West Lake Gazetteer, 171-172)
Kangxi's actions expressed Imperial appreciation of existing renowned
scenes. Qianlong, however, offered Imperial recognition to new and
equally nice scenes. Kangxi showed willingness to acknowledge existing
sites by privileging those which had previously been accepted by people.
Qianlong made obvious his absolute power by selecting at will from
a number of potential sites which competed for his recognition. (Zhai,
3) The difference can be in part explained by differences in the times.
Kangxi was faced with a newly conquered territory that required power
and promise to tame, whereas Qianlong was active at a time when the
area awaited glorification by Imperial approval. Indeed, he honored
some scenes with his appreciation, and then topped all of them with
the complex, Imperial Abode on Tour, exclusively his own. It is not
clear whether later writers perceived the landscape in accordance
with his design, but it is the case that Shen Deqian's 沈德潛 Collections
of West Lake Gazetteers 西湖志纂 and Zhai Hao's 翟灝 Convenient Guidebook
of the Lake and Mountains 湖山便覽 adopted his form, and endorsed his
intent. It is also the case that the physical presence of the Imperial
Abode altered the landscape of West Lake area. |
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1984: New Ten Scenes |
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As a result of the rising interest in
tourism in the 1980s, several organizations joined together to create
ten new scenic spots. Hangzhou Daily Newspaper杭州日報社, Hangzhou Bureau
of Landscape and Culture Relics杭州市園林文物管理局, Zhejing TV 浙江電視臺, Hangzhou
Tourism Management Company杭州市旅遊總公司, Landscape and Scenery Magazine
園林與名勝雜誌社, promoted the idea of selecting ten new scenes. Nine enterprises
sponsored the selection process at a cost of one hundred thousands
RMB. The public from throughout the country recommended the candidate
scenes. From the more than 7,400 recommendations, five selection committees
sorted out sixteen spots with two possible names for each. Then, once
again, the list of scenes and names went to the public via newspapers,
broadcasts, and magazines. Over the seven-day period of collecting
responses, more than one hundred thousand people participated. After
the count, ten noted calligraphers each provided a calligraphy for
a scene. Finally, at each of the Ten New Scenes, a stele was erected
with the appropriate inscribed calligraphy. At the same time, the
extent of each Scene was rigidly determined to improve maintenance,
and the features of each Scene were also defined. The process used
to make decisions on extent and features is unclear.
The Ten New Scenes are: Ruan Yuan's Isle Surrounding by Green 阮墩環碧,
Rosy Clouds on Baoshi Hill 寶石流霞, Yellow Dragon Exhaling Green Vapors
黃龍吐翠 (at Qixia Hill 棲霞嶺), Flying
Clouds on Yuhuang Hill 玉皇飛雲, Cassia
Rains in Manjue Mound 滿隴桂雨, Dreaming
Tiger-Dug Spring 虎跑夢泉, Misty
Trees in Nine Brooks 九溪煙樹, Inquiring
for Tea at Dragon Well 龍井問茶, Bamboo Path to Yunqi Temple 雲棲竹徑,
and Heavenly Winds in Wu Hill 吳山天風. |
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