基于多版本《清明上河圖》的中國城鄉(xiāng)空間定義演變研究

摘 要 本文通過分析比較《清明上河圖》的3個版本，梳理了中國古代城市重點空間的演變。這幅著名的中國卷軸畫在宋、明、清3個朝代均有復(fù)制版本，每個版本都從其時代的獨特視角展現(xiàn)了城市景觀，提供了對歷史上城市空間發(fā)展的深刻洞見。本研究分析郊外、河市區(qū)域和城市區(qū)域的比例變化，重點關(guān)注城市中心與農(nóng)村外圍之間的過渡區(qū)域——“腹地”。本研究將這些變化解釋為幾個世紀(jì)以來社會、經(jīng)濟和文化轉(zhuǎn)型的反映，側(cè)重于分析“腹地”在不同版本中的空間比例和表現(xiàn)方式的差異，揭示了這些空間的優(yōu)先級和功能是如何為適應(yīng)更廣泛的社會變遷而演變的。研究不僅有助于理解城市焦點的轉(zhuǎn)移，還可以將歷史城市的社會變遷與當(dāng)代城市發(fā)展的挑戰(zhàn)相聯(lián)系，突出了腹地在城市規(guī)劃中的重要性。

關(guān)鍵詞：清明上河圖；城鄉(xiāng)空間；空間定義；城鄉(xiāng)演變；腹地

0 引 言

《清明上河圖》是中國豐富文化遺產(chǎn)中最復(fù)雜和最受贊譽的藝術(shù)作品之一。最初由宋代畫家張擇端創(chuàng)作，這幅長卷風(fēng)俗畫在后續(xù)的不同朝代中以不同形式被復(fù)制。其中最具代表性的版本包括明代仇英的臨摹本和清代陳枚、孫祜、金昆、戴洪、程志道合作制作的版本（以下簡稱“清院本”）。這些版本的畫作展示了精細且近乎完美的藝術(shù)技巧及表達，分別描繪了宋代汴梁河畔的繁忙生活、明代江南的城市景觀及明清時期不同社會階層的生活狀態(tài)。由于其寫實風(fēng)格和對眾多細節(jié)的把控，這幅畫為人們提供了一扇觀察中國古代建筑和城市動態(tài)的窗口。無論是宋版本，還是明、清版本，每一版都揭示了當(dāng)時的城市規(guī)劃和社會價值觀，《清明上河圖》成為理解中國城市景觀演變的寶貴資源。

《清明上河圖》對于現(xiàn)代社會來說不僅僅是一種藝術(shù)表達，還被視作一份歷史文件，它從畫的角度展現(xiàn)城市環(huán)境的空間組織，突出了居住、商業(yè)和郊外空間的分布。本研究旨在通過比較宋、明、清3 個不同朝代的多個版本的《清明上河圖》，探索幾個世紀(jì)以來城市空間重點的轉(zhuǎn)變。通過這一分析，不僅能反映各個時期對城市公共空間和私人空間的不同使用和重視程度，也反映了更廣泛的社會變革和經(jīng)濟及文化優(yōu)先級的轉(zhuǎn)移。

本研究的目的不僅僅是深入了解塑造中國古代城市的歷史背景和城市規(guī)劃策略，更重要的是理解城市與鄉(xiāng)村之間空間定義的演變及其重要性變化。研究旨在探索城鄉(xiāng)關(guān)系的變化，其中“腹地”作為關(guān)鍵的過渡區(qū)域，扮演了重要角色。通過分析畫卷中的細致描繪，本研究試圖揭示從宋代到清代城市中心及其周邊地區(qū)之間的互動和動態(tài)。本研究嘗試?yán)斫膺@些中間空間的用途和演變，重點關(guān)注腹地及畫中各個區(qū)域重要性的變化，可為當(dāng)代城市規(guī)劃提供有價值的參考，并幫助人們理解中國古代城市空間策略的歷史演變。

本文首先回顧《清明上河圖》的歷史和文化背景，以及相關(guān)的學(xué)術(shù)研究，以此為本研究奠定基礎(chǔ)。隨后，描述用于比較畫作不同版本中空間表現(xiàn)的方法。最后結(jié)合分析結(jié)果，討論這些發(fā)現(xiàn)對于理解中國古代城市空間重點演變的意義。接著，記錄這些變化，希望能夠為關(guān)于歷史城市主義的更廣泛討論以及其與現(xiàn)代城市規(guī)劃挑戰(zhàn)的相關(guān)性作出貢獻。

總的來說，本研究通過系統(tǒng)地分析《清明上河圖》中的城市形態(tài)，提供了一種從藝術(shù)作品中解讀歷史城市發(fā)展的視角。通過這一研究方法，人們不僅能更好地理解中國古代的城市規(guī)劃和建筑特色，還能洞察到這些城市特征與今天的城市規(guī)劃有何差異或關(guān)聯(lián)。這種跨時代的對話，不僅豐富了人們對城市關(guān)注點演變的認知，也為當(dāng)前城市發(fā)展提供了寶貴的歷史經(jīng)驗和啟示。

1 研究現(xiàn)狀

現(xiàn)有研究《清明上河圖》的文獻很多，根據(jù)前期文獻閱讀，大部分研究都集中在美術(shù)領(lǐng)域，此外也有很多對教育、歷史、音樂及建筑學(xué)等領(lǐng)域的研究。對《清明上河圖》的研究大多開始于20 世紀(jì)中期。徐邦達等人在1958 年確定了北京故宮博物館的《清明上河圖》為宋代張擇端的真跡[1]。20 世紀(jì)80 年代以后，學(xué)者們對于《清明上河圖》的研究更加深入，開始對畫中的細節(jié)以及季節(jié)、時節(jié)等元素進行分析，同時，也出現(xiàn)了不少爭議。數(shù)十年來，學(xué)者們對《清明上河圖》進行了深入研究，逐漸將焦點放在畫面細節(jié)上，如店鋪、招牌等建筑物，交通規(guī)劃、人物動物等。對于這幅名作的命名、時代和作者等進行了不斷考證。隨著時間的推移，研究者逐漸回歸到對其藝術(shù)價值和歷史背景的理性分析上。近幾年，對《清明上河圖》的研究開始與新科技技術(shù)相結(jié)合，多為虛擬現(xiàn)實展覽等。目前，張擇端版的《清明上河圖》仍然是研究程度最深、最廣泛的版本，而明代的仇英版和清代的“清院版”受到的關(guān)注相對較少。近年來，對仇英版和“清院版”的研究逐漸增多，但對3 版《清明上河圖》進行橫向?qū)Ρ鹊难芯枯^少（圖1）。

最近幾年直接對比宋、明、清不同版本的研究包括：杜敏2012 年的研究著重考查了畫面內(nèi)容、藝術(shù)特色，以及對不同時期社會背景的反映，同時探討了其對當(dāng)代繪畫創(chuàng)作的影響和啟示[2]；韓海麗于2015 年的研究，通過對比研究不同版本在藝術(shù)表現(xiàn)風(fēng)格、創(chuàng)作觀念、構(gòu)圖安排、情節(jié)內(nèi)容、筆墨設(shè)色等方面的差異，揭示了不同時代背景下同一繪畫題材的個性與演變，深入挖掘了《清明上河圖》這一題材的文化內(nèi)涵與審美價值，并為類似繪畫的發(fā)展與演變提供了參考依據(jù)[3]；于曉璐在2023 年的研究則著重于對比分析各版本的藝術(shù)語言、繪畫風(fēng)格，以及近年來科技發(fā)展對該畫作研究和展示的影響，最終探討了長卷風(fēng)俗畫在當(dāng)代創(chuàng)作中的新表現(xiàn)形式和展覽方式[4]。

由此可見，《清明上河圖》在不同版本的橫向?qū)Ρ妊芯糠矫嬉讶〉靡欢ǖ倪M展，但現(xiàn)有文獻主要側(cè)重于美術(shù)領(lǐng)域，對藝術(shù)風(fēng)格、繪畫技巧和文化意義等進行深入探討。也有針對建筑學(xué)領(lǐng)域的研究，但這些研究通常只關(guān)注特定年代的建筑細節(jié)、形式，而未涉及更宏觀的城市空間演變的對比分析。這種宏觀視角的對比分析能夠揭示《清明上河圖》在城市建筑和空間規(guī)劃方面的歷史價值。因此，進行從宋到清不同版本的《清明上河圖》中城市空間重點演變的橫向?qū)Ρ妊芯?，能夠為理解中國古代城市?guī)劃的演進提供新的視角。

2 研究方法及研究版本選擇

根據(jù)陳詔的《解讀清明上河圖》記載，《清明上河圖》按照其內(nèi)容和視覺順序，可劃分為3個部分：第一部分是描繪京城周邊農(nóng)村的田野景觀；第二部分是展現(xiàn)汴河繁忙水運的場景[5]；第三部分則是宋京城門外的集市交易畫面。這3 部分內(nèi)容生動地展示了宋代城市空間從鄉(xiāng)村到都市的過渡，反映了宋代人們的生產(chǎn)活動、日常生活，以及市場交易和旅游的景象。

上述劃分是基于宋代張擇端版的《清明上河圖》，而對于明、清其他版本的畫作，本研究為了能覆蓋明清年代所有圖面要素，統(tǒng)一劃分所有版本為以下3 個部分：第一部分為畫卷開端的田野景觀；第二部分是河上水運場景及城門外市集；第三部分是城門內(nèi)到卷末的皇家御苑。本文通過該劃分方式分析不同版本中這3 部分之間的比例變化，以期通過不同朝代不同版本的《清明上河圖》揭示不同時期的城市側(cè)重點。

本文結(jié)合已有文獻，選取了至今研究價值和影響力相對較大的3 個版本《清明上河圖》進行對比研究，分別為：北宋張擇端版《清明上河圖》卷（現(xiàn)存故宮博物院，以下簡稱“宋版”）；明代仇英版《清明上河圖》卷（現(xiàn)存遼寧省博物館，以下簡稱“明版”）；清代宮廷畫家陳枚、孫祜、金昆、戴洪、程志道共同繪制的《清明上河圖》卷（現(xiàn)存臺北故宮博物院）。

3《清明上河圖》各個版本介紹

該部分將按照上述劃分方法簡要概括每個版本中的內(nèi)容。

3.1 宋代張擇端版《清明上河圖》

該版本縱24.8cm，橫528.7cm，為絹本長卷，采用水墨淺色技法繪制，現(xiàn)藏于北京故宮博物院。作品描繪了北宋首都汴梁城內(nèi)外的繁忙場景（ 圖2）。

（1）第一部分：開篇描繪汴京郊外景色，有薄霧中的茅屋、小橋和蜿蜒溪流，還有老樹與小船。場景中包括挑炭的腳夫、坐轎的婦人和伴隨的行人及騎手，呈現(xiàn)出郊外生活的寧靜與靈動（圖3）。

（2）第二部分：展示了汴河上繁忙的水上交通，河岸邊的景象生動活潑。船只來回穿梭，描繪出繁榮的商業(yè)中心。虹橋周圍人聲鼎沸，展現(xiàn)了一個充滿活力的貿(mào)易和交通中心（圖4）。

（3）第三部分：展示了城內(nèi)街道景觀，以壯麗的城樓為中心，街道兩旁店鋪密集，出售珠寶、香料和絲綢等商品。街道上人群熙熙攘攘，交通工具多樣，突顯了城市的商業(yè)繁榮和社會多樣性（圖5）。

3.2 明代仇英版《清明上河圖》

該版本縱30.5cm，橫987cm，為絹本長卷，工筆青綠設(shè)色，現(xiàn)藏于遼寧省博物館。描繪的地址由汴京轉(zhuǎn)為蘇州，由淡設(shè)色變?yōu)榍嗑G重彩，畫幅大大增加，卷首添加了遠山，卷末增加了金明池宮闕（圖6）。

（1）第一部分：展現(xiàn)了蘇州城郊的景色，大運河兩岸景致宜人，牛羊成群，群山環(huán)抱，綠樹成蔭。畫中農(nóng)民在翠綠的田野中耕作，貴族轎中游覽，騎士自在踏青，民眾圍觀戲臺，整個畫面透露出和諧與繁榮的氛圍（圖7）。

（2）第二部分：描繪的是河畔熱鬧的街景，大運河兩岸繁忙的交通和豐富的社會生活：新船靜泊，石拱橋上人來人往，岸邊行走的有商人、手工藝人、江湖醫(yī)生和各類小販，活動豐富多彩，形成了一幅充滿活力的社會百態(tài)圖（圖8）。

（3）第三部分：聚焦于城門內(nèi)城鎮(zhèn)街道的商業(yè)繁華，從城門進入城鎮(zhèn)中心，再繪至城郊，最后以登仙臺結(jié)束。街道上各式手工業(yè)和商業(yè)活動熱鬧非凡，店鋪、酒樓、茶館、作坊和當(dāng)鋪等林立，描繪了一幅詳細的市場景象圖（圖9）。

3.3 清代“清院版”清明上河圖

該版本縱35.6cm，橫1，152.8cm，為絹本長卷，青綠淡設(shè)色，現(xiàn)藏于臺北故宮博物院。該版本展現(xiàn)了明清時期北京城市的社會風(fēng)貌，在“明版”的結(jié)構(gòu)基礎(chǔ)上，對于畫面情節(jié)內(nèi)容有所增加，并且此時期繪畫開始受西畫影響，“清院版”除了散點透視，還增加了焦點透視，在部分舟船繪制中比較明顯（圖10）。

（1）第一部分：描繪了田野和柳林，有鄉(xiāng)村、木橋及鄉(xiāng)間小道，小道上有趕集的人和娶親的隊伍。郊外的戲臺吸引了大量的觀眾前來觀看演出，運河中有幾艘渡船緩緩行駛著（圖11）。

（2）第二部分：描繪了虹橋旁貨船靠岸的場景，橋上聚集了大量人群，沿路有各種商店和小販，各種各樣的活動在這里發(fā)生。城門外，茶樓、飯館等店鋪高朋滿座，城樓上軍事防備稀少，可見天下之太平（圖12）。

（3）第三部分：主要描繪金碧輝煌的宮殿，只有零星分布的幾組人物。御苑場景以宮廷建筑的宏偉和人物活動的平靜作為畫卷的結(jié)尾。經(jīng)過一條變化為長堤和平臺的游廊，過一座雙亭橋，便到達巨大的鷲峰下，一對朱漆后門通向主殿。園中桃花盛開，湖邊石立，中心建有尖頂四角崇樓（圖13）。

4 不同朝代間城市焦點的分析與比較

4.1 宋代張擇端版《清明上河圖》

在宋代張擇端的版本中，《清明上河圖》可根據(jù)前述原則分為3 個部分：農(nóng)村郊區(qū)景觀、城市水運和市場場景及城市內(nèi)部。這些部分的比例分別為22%、58% 和20%?？梢姟八伟妗钡牡谝徊糠洲r(nóng)村郊外景觀占比為22%；第二部分以汴河為主線包括市集的城鄉(xiāng)交界空間，約占畫面總尺幅的58%；第三部分對城內(nèi)的描繪最少，只占20%（圖14）。

該版本的劃分界限是把城門、郊外和河市的交界作為分割線。城門作為城內(nèi)與城外的分界，宋朝的城邊界實際上較為模糊，城市朝外擴張交互頻繁。城門內(nèi)外的不同描繪強調(diào)了城市生活的密集與有序，與更加開放和自由的郊外生活形成對比。河市作為城鄉(xiāng)之間的商業(yè)和社交樞紐，是人們交流和商品流通的活躍場所。河流不僅是物理的交通線，也是文化和經(jīng)濟活動的中心。畫中的河市區(qū)域熱鬧非凡，商販云集，船只往來，形成一道獨特的景觀線，而郊外區(qū)域的描繪主要集中在自然風(fēng)光和鄉(xiāng)間小屋上（圖15）。

4.2 明代仇英版《清明上河圖》

在明代仇英的版本中，《清明上河圖》同樣可以根據(jù)前述原則分為3 個部分：農(nóng)村郊區(qū)景觀、城市水運和市場場景及城市內(nèi)部。這3 部分的比例分別為31%、23% 和46%（圖16）。

該版本的劃分界線是把城門、郊外和河市的交界作為分割線。具體來說，明代版本的郊外相比宋代版本大大增添了郊野人物活動的場景，可見有一個戲臺吸引大量觀眾觀看表演的活動場景。第二部分是從船出現(xiàn)到城門，該部分描繪了該時代河市的貿(mào)易系統(tǒng)，以虹橋為中心，是畫中人物最多的部分。該版本的城鎮(zhèn)部分相比宋代版本有所延展，描繪了內(nèi)城中的龍舟競渡場景，以及繪制了大量在游玩活動的仕女（圖17）。

4.3 清代“清院版”《清明上河圖》

與上述版本相同，清代“清院版”《清明上河圖》也可以劃分為3 個部分：農(nóng)村郊區(qū)景觀、城市水運和市場場景及城市內(nèi)部。這3 部分的比例分別為25%、21% 和54%（圖18）。

該版本的郊外部分構(gòu)成元素與明代相似，生動地展現(xiàn)了田野、水道和村落生活的風(fēng)貌，同樣也有戲臺的布置。第二部分包括河上貿(mào)易、虹橋及城外市集。最后城內(nèi)部分與前2 個版本不同，“清院版”延伸了對城市的描述，不僅包括普通街道，還包括宮殿的復(fù)雜環(huán)境。這一部分展示了金碧輝煌的宮廷建筑和少量的貴族活動（圖19）。

4.4 比較分析

張擇端、仇英和清代宮廷畫家繪制的3 個版本的《清明上河圖》，展示了不同朝代之間在城市焦點和空間布局上的顯著變化。下文中比較分析探討了這些版本如何反映出社會優(yōu)先級、城市擴張和藝術(shù)重點的變遷。

1）宋代張擇端版本。

（1）農(nóng)村郊外景觀：22%。

（2）城市水運與市場場景（腹地）：58%。

（3）城市內(nèi)部：20%。

宋代版本主要關(guān)注城市水運與市場場景，占畫作比例近60%。這一版本重點突出了圍繞汴河的繁榮經(jīng)濟活動，展示了鄉(xiāng)村與城市生活交匯的繁忙場面。對城市內(nèi)部的描繪最少，這表明該版本更多的關(guān)注點在外部貿(mào)易和經(jīng)濟交流上，而不是城市內(nèi)部的活動。

2）明代仇英版本。

（1）農(nóng)村郊外景觀：31%。

（1）城市水運與市場場景：23%。

（1）城市內(nèi)部：46%。

明代仇英版本顯示出顯著的轉(zhuǎn)變，農(nóng)村郊外和城市內(nèi)部均得到更多的關(guān)注。農(nóng)村場景被擴展。此外，城市內(nèi)部的廣泛描繪幾乎占據(jù)了卷軸的一半，這表明該版本對城市生活和城墻內(nèi)活動更深層次的關(guān)注，包括象征城市文化繁榮的活動，如龍舟賽等。

3）清代宮廷版本。

（1）農(nóng)村郊外景觀：25%。

（2）城市水運與市場場景：21%。

（3）城市內(nèi)部：54%。

清代“清院版”進一步將焦點轉(zhuǎn)向城市內(nèi)部，城市內(nèi)部占畫作的一半以上。這一顯著變化突出了當(dāng)時的帝國重點，即描繪清朝統(tǒng)治下城市環(huán)境的宏偉與秩序。對金碧輝煌的宮殿和有限的貴族活動的描繪，強調(diào)了清朝對權(quán)威和控制的重視，同時展示了清朝統(tǒng)治下的繁榮。

4）整體比較。

從宋代到清代，《清明上河圖》中對城內(nèi)部分描述的逐漸增加清晰可見。宋代版本通過市場場景強調(diào)經(jīng)濟活力，而明清版本則逐步地更多關(guān)注城市生活和治理，這種轉(zhuǎn)變反映了社會和政治優(yōu)先級的變化?！肚迕魃虾訄D》中對郊外區(qū)域的描繪雖依然重要，但在明清版本中變得更加風(fēng)格化，并進一步融入更廣泛的城市敘事中。這些朝代間關(guān)注焦點的演變，不僅描繪了城市規(guī)劃和社會結(jié)構(gòu)的變遷，也反映了中國歷史中政治景觀和藝術(shù)關(guān)注重點的變化。

5 結(jié) 語

本研究系統(tǒng)地探討了《清明上河圖》宋、明、清3 個朝代版本中城鄉(xiāng)空間的變化。通過比較分析，梳理了幾個世紀(jì)以來各種城市重點空間的轉(zhuǎn)變及其社會經(jīng)濟和文化含義。本研究不僅加深了人們對中國歷史城市主義的理解，也豐富了當(dāng)前城市規(guī)劃和發(fā)展實踐的討論內(nèi)容。

分析部分突出了從宋代繁忙的市場場景到明清版本中對城市內(nèi)部和宏偉帝制環(huán)境詳細描繪的顯著轉(zhuǎn)變。這種演變反映了人們對城市生活的更深入?yún)⑴c，以及對社會價值和結(jié)構(gòu)隨時間變化的廣泛反思。明清版本中增加的復(fù)雜性和豐富性，凸顯了畫作對國家權(quán)力和宏偉建筑的強調(diào)，展現(xiàn)了畫作及城市對權(quán)力集中化和帝國繁榮與穩(wěn)定的推崇。

此外，每個版本的《清明上河圖》作為文化藝術(shù)品都具有珍貴的價值，它們捕捉了其時代的藝術(shù)、經(jīng)濟和建筑風(fēng)貌。宋代版本的《清明上河圖》著重描繪河市的繁忙經(jīng)濟活動，反映了一個依賴貿(mào)易和商業(yè)繁榮的社會。相比之下，明清版本的《清明上河圖》中對詳細的城市場景和宮廷生活的描繪，則強調(diào)了權(quán)力集中化，以及對國家繁榮與穩(wěn)定的展示。本研究特別關(guān)注“腹地”，即城市核心與郊外過渡區(qū)之間的地帶。在3 個版本的《清明上河圖》中，對城市水運和市場腹地部分的描述表現(xiàn)出明顯的變化：宋代的腹地場景占總畫面的58%，表現(xiàn)了繁忙的經(jīng)濟活動；明代的腹地場景減少到23%，體現(xiàn)了對城市生活的更深入描繪；清代的腹地場景進一步減少到21%，顯示出對城市內(nèi)部和帝制環(huán)境的更加詳細展現(xiàn)。這些變化反映了腹地區(qū)域在城市與郊外之間的戰(zhàn)略重要性，以及其功能如何隨社會和政治優(yōu)先級的變化而演進。本研究通過分析這些“腹地”空間，揭示了它們在連接和平衡中心城區(qū)與邊緣景觀之間的動態(tài)角色演變。這種對腹地空間的探索，為理解它們在歷史上及當(dāng)代城市規(guī)劃中的戰(zhàn)略重要性提供了有價值的見解[6-9]。

《清明上河圖》的持久魅力和學(xué)術(shù)價值不僅源自其卓越的藝術(shù)，更在于其記錄歷史的能力。這些演變也可以在本文未分析的其他版本中觀察到（圖20）。這些畫作為人們提供了窺視歷史的窗口，人們通過它們可以看到城市的發(fā)展、社會的變遷，以及城市擴展、建筑演變和社會動態(tài)之間復(fù)雜的相互作用。

綜上所述，不同版本的《清明上河圖》不僅展現(xiàn)了中國城市空間幾個世紀(jì)以來的發(fā)展與變遷，更深刻地描繪了城市環(huán)境是如何被其居民所塑造和體驗的。這些杰出的藝術(shù)作品持續(xù)吸引著學(xué)術(shù)界和公眾的廣泛關(guān)注，它們成功地將歷史視角與當(dāng)代社會緊密相連。通過它們，人們能夠深入探討城市環(huán)境的演變、特征，以及城市生活的復(fù)雜動態(tài)。這種觀察視角不僅對理解歷史具有重要意義，也為現(xiàn)代城市規(guī)劃與建設(shè)提供了參考。

參考文獻

References

[1] 徐邦達. 清明上河圖的初步研究[J]. 故宮博物院院刊， 1958（1）：37-51.

[2] 杜敏. 歷代《清明上河圖》對比研究[D]. 西安： 陜西師范大學(xué)， 2012.

[3] 韓海麗. 宋明清三版《清明上河圖》比較研究[D].曲阜： 曲阜師范大學(xué)， 2015.

[4] 于曉璐.《清明上河圖》宋、明、清三版對比研究[D]. 青島： 青島科技大學(xué)， 2023.

[5] 陳詔， 解讀清明上河圖[M]. 上海： 上海古籍出版社，2010.

[6] 譚剛毅， 榮蓉.《清明上河圖》中的城市與建筑意象[J]. 南方建筑， 2008（5）：55-57.

[7] 洪越， 張曉燕. 由《清明上河圖》探究北宋街市空間形態(tài)[J]. 藝術(shù)教育， 2023（1）：211-214.

[8] 黃婭楠. 清院本《清明上河圖》研究[D]. 九江： 江西師范大學(xué)， 2020.

[9] 郭洋洋， 王雪潔， 王榮霞， 等. 淺析《清明上河圖》中的空間營造[J]. 文物鑒定與鑒賞， 2022，（11）：22-25.

ORIGINAL TEXTS IN ENGLISH

Study on the Evolving Definitions ofUrban-rural Space in China， Througha Comparison of Various Version of“Along the River During the QingmingFestival”

Chonghei Chan

0 Introduction

“Along the River During the QingmingFestival”， hereafter referred to as “the scroll”， is oneof the most complex and acclaimed works within therich cultural heritage of China. Originally createdby the Song Dynasty painter Zhang Zeduan， thispanoramic genre painting has been replicated invarious forms across different dynasties. The mostrepresentative versions include the Ming dynastycopy by Qiu Ying and the Qing Dynasty versioncollaboratively produced by Chen Mei， Sun Hu， JinKun， Dai Hong， and Cheng Zhidao. These editionsof the scroll showcase meticulous and nearly perfectartistic techniques， depicting the bustling life alongthe banks of Bianliang in the Song Dynasty， theurban scenery of Jiangnan during the Ming， and thelife of different social classes during the Ming andQing periods. Due to its realistic style and controlover numerous details， the painting provides awindow into ancient Chinese architecture and urbandynamics. Each version， whether from the Song，Ming， or Qing Dynasty， reveals unique insights intothe urban planning and societal values of the times，making it a valuable resource for understanding theevolution of Chinese urban landscapes.

The scroll is now considered more than justan artistic expression; it also serves as a historicaldocument that illustrates the spatial organization ofurban environments， highlighting the distributionof residential， commercial， and suburban spaces.This study aims to explore the shifts in urban spatialemphasis over the centuries by comparing multiple versions of the scroll from the Song， Ming， andQing dynasties. Through this analysis， the paper willreflect not only the different uses and importance ofpublic and private urban spaces across periods butalso broader societal changes and shifts in economicand cultural priorities.

The aim of this study is not merely to gaina deeper understanding of the historical contextsand urban planning strategies that shaped ancientChinese cities， but to understand the evolution of thedefinition of spaces between urban and rural areasand their changing importance. The study aims tolook at the changing relation between urban andrural， with the in between space of ‘the hinterland’as key transitional area. Through analyzing theintricate depictions in the scroll， this paper seeks touncover the interactions and dynamics between citycenters and their peripheries from the Song to QingDynasties. This analysis will illuminate the evolvinguse of these in-between spaces， emphasizing howthe concept of the hinterland， and the changingimportance of the respective areas in the scroll， canrelate to valuable insights into contemporary urbanplanning， as well as help us understand the historicalprogression of spatial strategies in ancient Chinesecities.

In this paper， the historical and culturalbackground of the scroll， along with previousscholarly research， will first be reviewed to laythe groundwork for the analysis. The methodsused to compare the spatial representations indifferent versions of the painting will then bedescribed. Combining the results of this analysis，the significance of these findings for understandingthe evolution of urban priorities in ancient Chinawill be discussed. Documenting these changes aimsto contribute to broader discussions on historicalurbanism and its relevance to contemporary urbanplanning challenges.

Overall， this study provides a systematicanalysis of urban forms in the scroll， offering aperspective on historical urban development throughartistic works. This research approach not onlyenhances understanding of ancient Chinese urbanplanning and architectural features but also shedslight on how these urban characteristics compareto or inform today’s urban planning. This crosstemporaldialogue enriches understanding of theevolution of urban focal points and provides valuablehistorical insights and lessons for contemporaryurban development.

1 Literature Review

Existing research on the scroll is extensive，with the majority of studies concentrating onthe field of fine arts. Additionally， considerableattention has been given to educational， historical，musical， and architectural aspects. Research intothis scroll painting began in earnest in the mid-20th century. Xu Bangda and others confirmed thatthe version in Beijing’s Palace Museum was anauthentic work from the Song Dynasty by ZhangZeduan[1]. Since the 1980s， scholarly inquiry intothe painting has deepened， analyzing aspects such as detail， seasons， and specific times of year， whilealso generating considerable debate. Over decades，scholars have focused increasingly on the minutedetails within the painting， such as shops， signs，other architectural elements， traffic planning， andfigures and animals. Continuous research has beenconducted into the naming， era， and authorshipof this famous work， with studies graduallyreturning to a rational analysis of its artistic valueand historical context. In recent years， researchhas begun to integrate new technologies， oftenin the form of virtual exhibitions. To date， ZhangZeduan’s version remains the most extensively anddeeply studied， while the Ming dynasty versionby Qiu Ying and the Qing Dynasty \"Qing CourtVersion\" have received comparatively less attention.Recent years have seen an increase in studies on theQiu Ying and “Qing Court Version，” but comparativeanalyses across the three versions remain rare （Figure1）.

Recent direct comparisons of the Song， Ming，and Qing Dynasty versions include Du Min’s 2012study， which focused on the content of the painting，artistic characteristics， and reflections of the societalcontext of different periods， while also exploring itsimpact on and insights for contemporary painting[2].Han Haili’s research compared different versions interms of artistic expression style， creative concepts，composition， plot content， and brush and ink use，revealing the individuality and evolution of the samepainting theme against the backdrop of different eras，and deeply exploring the cultural connotations andaesthetic values of the scroll， providing references forthe development and evolution of similar paintings[3].Yu Xiaolu’s study focused on a comparative analysisof the artistic language and painting styles of differentversions and the impact of recent technologicaladvancements on the research and display of theseartworks， ultimately exploring new forms of expressionand exhibition methods for scroll genre paintings incontemporary creation hen[4].

It is evident that while there has been someprogress in the horizontal comparative study ofdifferent versions of “Along the River During theQingming Festival，” existing literature primarilyfocuses on the fine arts domain， delving deeplyinto artistic styles， painting techniques， and culturalmeanings. There are studies within the field ofarchitecture as well， yet these generally focus only onspecific architectural details and forms of particulareras without addressing broader comparative analysesof urban spatial evolution. Such macroscopiccomparative perspectives could reveal the historicalvalue of the scroll in terms of urban architecture andspatial planning. Therefore， conducting a horizontalcomparative study on the evolution of urban spatialfocuses in different versions of the scroll from theSong to Qing dynasties could provide new insightsinto the progression of ancient Chinese urbanplanning.

2 Methodology and Version Selections

According to Chen Zhao’s “Interpreting ‘Alongthe River During the Qingming Festival，’ ” the painting is divided based on its content and visual sequence intothree main sections： the first part depicts the rurallandscapes surrounding the capital [5]; the second partshows the bustling scenes of the Bian River’s watertransport; and the third part illustrates the marketactivities outside the gates of the Song capital. Thissegmentation vividly demonstrates the transitionfrom rural to urban life， reflecting the Song Dynasty’sproduction activities， daily life， and the dynamics ofmarket trade and travel

This division is based on the Song Dynastyversion by Zhang Zeduan. To encompass all elementsfrom the Ming and Qing Dynasty versions in thisstudy， a uniform division has been applied to allversions as follows： the first part begins with the rurallandscape at the start of the scroll， the second part，which is central to our discussion， encompasses theriver transport scenes and the market outside the citygates—highlighting the hinterland area as previouslymentioned. The third part stretches from inside thecity gates to the imperial garden at the end of thescroll. This paper analyzes the proportional changesamong these three sections across different versions toreveal the urban focus during various periods throughdifferent versions of the scroll

This paper selects the three most significantand influential versions of the scroll for comparativestudy： the Northern Song Dynasty version by ZhangZeduan， currently housed in the Palace Museum，referred to hereafter as the “Song version”; the MingDynasty version by Qiu Ying， housed in the LiaoningProvincial Museum， referred to hereafter as the “Mingversion”; and the Qing Dynasty version painted by thecourt artists Chen Mei， Sun Hu， Jin Kun， Dai Hong，and Cheng Zhidao， housed in the National PalaceMuseum in Taipei， referred to hereafter as the “QingCourt version.”

3 Drawing Introduction

This section briefly summarizes the content ofeach version based on the aforementioned divisionmethod.

3.1 Song Dynasty Zhang Zeduan Version of\"Along the River During the Qingming Festival\"

This version measures 24.8 cm by 528.7 cm， along scroll on silk， executed in ink and light color， andis currently housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing.It depicts the bustling scenes inside and outside thegates of Bianliang， the capital of the Northern SongDynasty （Figure 2）.

（1） First Part： The opening scene depicts therural outskirts of Bianliang. It features a landscapeshrouded in light mist， with thatched cottages， smallbridges， meandering streams， ancient trees， and smallboats. The depiction includes porters carrying charcoaland a lady riding in a palanquin， accompanied bypedestrians and horsemen， presenting a serene andmobile glimpse into suburban life （Figure 3）.

（2） Second Part： This section portrays thebusy water traffic on the Bian River， with a vibrantscene at the riverbank. Boats shuttle back and forth，unceasingly depicting a thriving commercial hub.The area around the Rainbow Bridge is teeming with people， illustrating a dynamic center of trade andtransportation （Figure 4）.

（3） Third Part： The urban streetscape near thegrand city tower is showcased， with densely packedshops lining the streets， offering goods such asjewelry， spices， and silks. The streets are bustling witha diverse crowd and various forms of transportation，highlighting the commercial prosperity and socialdiversity of the city （Figure 5）.

3.2 Ming Dynasty Qiu Ying Version of “Along theRiver During the Qingming Festival”

This version measures 30.5 cm in height and987 cm in length， and is a silk scroll rendered in finebrushwork with blue-green colors， currently held atthe Liaoning Provincial Museum. The scene shiftsfrom Bianliang to Suzhou， transitioning from lightto rich blue-green colors， significantly enlarging thecanvas. The scroll begins with distant mountainsand concludes with the imperial Jinming Pool（Figure 6）.

（1） First Part： This section depicts the suburbanlandscape of Suzhou. The scenery along the GrandCanal is idyllic， with herds of cattle and sheep，surrounding mountains， and lush trees. The paintingcaptures farmers working in vibrant green fields，nobles touring in palanquins， knights enjoyingspring outings， and locals watching performances，all contributing to an atmosphere of harmony andprosperity （Figure 7）.

（2） Second Part： The streets along the riverbanksare vividly depicted， bustling with traffic and vibrantsocial life： new boats moored quietly， crowds bustlingon stone arch bridges， and a variety of people suchas merchants， artisans， itinerant doctors， and variouspeddlers actively engaging in their trades， creating adynamic tableau of societal life （Figure 8）.

（3） Third Part： This section focuses on thecommercial bustle within the town’s streets， movingfrom the city gates to the town center and extendingto the suburbs， ending at the Ascension Platform.The streets are lively with various industrial andcommercial activities; shops， taverns， tea houses，workshops， and pawnshops are prominently featured，portraying a detailed and engaging market scene（Figure 9）.

3.3 Qing Dynasty Court Version of “Along theRiver During the Qingming Festival”

This version measures 35.6 cm in height and1152.8 cm in length， a silk scroll painted in light bluegreencolors， currently housed in the National PalaceMuseum in Taipei. This rendition portrays the socioculturallandscape of Beijing during the Ming andQing periods， building on the structural foundationof the \"Ming version\" but with added scenes andinfluences from Western painting techniques. Notably，the \"Qing Court version\" incorporates both scatteredand focal perspective， particularly evident in thedepiction of boats （Figure 10）.

（1） First Part： Depicts rural fields and willowgroves， featuring villages， wooden bridges， and countrylanes with people heading to the market and weddingprocessions. In the countryside， a temporary stagedraws a large audience to watch performances， while several ferries slowly traverse the canal （Figure 11）.

（2） Second Part： Illustrates the scene nearRainbow Bridge where cargo ships dock. Thebridge is crowded with people， and the road is linedwith various shops and vendors， hosting a myriadof activities. Outside the city gate， tea houses，restaurants， and blacksmith shops are bustling withpatrons， while the city tower shows minimalmilitary preparation， indicating a period of peace（Figure 12）.

（3） Third Part： Mainly depicts the splendidimperial palace with only a few scattered groups offigures. The imperial garden scene concludes thescroll with grand architectural structures and a tranquilatmosphere. The pathway transforms into a longcauseway and platform， leading to a large eagle peakunder which lies a double-pavilion bridge， opening toa main hall through a pair of red lacquered doors. Thegarden blooms with peach blossoms beside standinglake stones， centered around a four-cornered spirepavilion （Figure 13）.

4 Analysis and Comparison of UrbanFocus Across Dynasties

4.1 Song Dynasty Zhang Zeduan Version of\"Along the River During the Qingming Festival\"

In Zhang Zeduan’s Song Dynasty version， thescroll can be divided into three sections according tothe previously mentioned principles—rural outskirtslandscape， urban water transportation and marketscenes， and the city interior. The proportions ofthese parts are 22%， 58%， and 20%， respectively. Itis evident that in the \"Song version，\" the first part，which centers around the Bian River and includesthe market at the urban-rural interface， accountsfor approximately 58% of the scroll’s total length;the second part， depicting the rural outskirts，comprises 22%; and the third part， which details thecity interior， makes up the smallest portion at 20%（Figure 14）.

The division of this version is marked by twodistinct boundaries： the city gate and the interfacesbetween the outskirts and the river market. The citygate serves as the boundary between the interior andexterior of the city， with the actual boundaries ofthe city during the Song Dynasty being somewhatblurred due to outward expansion and frequentinteractions. The distinct depictions inside andoutside the city gate emphasize the density andorder of urban life， contrasting sharply withthe more open and free life in the suburbs. Theriver market acts as a commercial and social hubbetween the city and the countryside， servingas an active site for communication and thecirculation of goods. The river is not only aphysical conduit for transportation but also acenter for cultural and economic activities. Theriver market area within the painting is bustling，crowded with merchants， and busy with boatscoming and going， creating a unique scenic line.Meanwhile， the depiction of the outskirts focusesprimarily on natural landscapes and rural cottages（Figure 15）.

4.2 Ming Dynasty Qiu Ying Version of \"Along the River During the Qingming Festival\"

In Qiu Ying’s Ming Dynasty version， the scrollcan also be divided into three sections according tothe previously mentioned principles—rural outskirtslandscape， urban water transportation and marketscenes， and the city interior. The proportions of theseparts are 31%， 23%， and 46%， respectively （Figure 16）.

The division of this version is marked by twodistinct boundaries： the city gate and the interfacesbetween the outskirts and the river market.Specifically， the Ming Dynasty version considerablyenhances the depiction of rural activities comparedto the Song Dynasty version. For instance， a stagein the countryside draws a large audience to aperformance， highlighting a vibrant cultural scene.The second part extends from the appearance ofboats up to the city gate. This section portraysthe trading system of the era， centered around theRainbow Bridge， which becomes the most crowdedpart of the painting， bustling with people. In thecity interior， this version extends the urban scenescompared to the Song Dynasty version， illustratingdragon boat races and depict ing numerousnoblewomen engaging in recreational activitieswithin the city walls （Figure 17）.

4.3 Qing Dynasty Court Version of \"Along theRiver During the Qingming Festival\"

Same as previous versions， Qing Dynasty Courtversion can also be divided into three sections—rural outskirts landscape， urban water transportationand market scenes， and the city interior. Theproportions of these parts are 25%， 21%， and 54%，respectively（Figure 18）.

The division of this version is marked by twodistinct boundaries： the city gate and the interfacesbetween the outskirts and the river market. The ruraloutskirts section of this version shares similar elementswith the Ming Dynasty version， vividly displayingthe landscape of fields， waterways， and village life，including the arrangement of a theatrical stage. Thesecond part encompasses river trade， the RainbowBridge， and the market area outside the city. Unlikeprevious versions， the Qing Court version extends theurban description to include not just ordinary streets butalso a complex imperial setting. This section showcasesthe splendid palace architecture and a few aristocraticactivities （Figure 19）.

4.4 Comparison

The three versions of the scroll by ZhangZeduan， Qiu Ying， and the Qing Dynasty Courtartists demonstrate significant shifts in urban focusand spatial arrangement across different dynasties.This comparative analysis will explore how theseversions reflect changes in societal priorities， urbanexpansion， and artistic emphasis.

1） Song Dynasty Version by Zhang Zeduan.

（1） Rural outskirts landscape： 22%

（2） Urban water transportation and market scenes （Hinterland）： 58%

（3） City interior： 20%

In the Song Dynasty version， the focus ispredominantly on the urban water transportation and market scenes， which make up nearly 60%of the painting. This emphasis suggests a vibranteconomic activity centered around the Bian River，portraying a bustling interface where rural and urbanlives converge. The depiction of the city interior isthe least， indicating a possible focus on the externaltrade and economic exchanges over the internalurban activities.

2） Ming Dynasty Version by Qiu Ying.

（1） Rural outskirts landscape： 31%

（2） Urban water transportation and market scenes （Hinterland）： 23%

（3） City interior： 46%

Qiu Ying’s version from the Ming Dynastyshows a significant shift， with increased attentionto both the rural outskirts and the city interior. Therural scenes are expanded. Moreover， the extensiveportrayal of the city interior， almost half of thescroll， suggests a deeper focus on urban life and theactivities within the city walls， including culturalevents like dragon boat races， which are indicative ofa thriving urban culture.

3） Qing Dynasty Court Version.

（1） Rural outskirts landscape： 25%

（2） Urban water transportation and market scenes （Hinterland）： 21%

（3） City interior： 54%

The Qing Dynasty Court version furthershifts the focus towards the city interior， whichnow occupies more than half of the painting. Thissignificant increase highlights a possible imperialemphasis on depicting the grandeur and order ofthe urban environment under the Qing rule. Theportrayal of imperial palaces and limited aristocraticactivities within a highly structured urban settingunderscores the Qing Dynasty’s emphasis onauthority and control， as well as showcasing theprosperity under imperial governance.

4） Overall Comparison.

Across the three versions， there is a clear trendof increasing focus on the city interior from theSong to the Qing dynasties. While the Song versionhighlights economic vibrancy through marketscenes， the Ming and Qing versions progressivelyfocus more on urban life and governance， reflectingchanges in societal and political priorities. Thedepiction of rural areas remains significant butbecomes more stylized and integrated into broaderurban narratives in later versions. This evolution infocus across the dynasties not only illustrates shiftsin urban planning and societal structure but alsomirrors the changing political landscapes and artisticpriorities in Chinese history.

5 Conclusion

This study systematically explores the evolvingdepictions of urban and rural spaces across threesignificant versions of \"Along the River During theQingming Festival\" spanning the Song， Ming， andQing dynasties. Through comparative analysis， itoutlines the transformations in various urban focalspaces over centuries， and their socio-economic andcultural implications. This research not only deepensour understanding of historical urbanism in Chinabut also enriches discussions on contemporary urbanplanning and development practices.

The analysis demonstrates a clear progressionin thematic focus—from the bustling market scenesof the Song Dynasty to the detailed portrayals ofurban interiors and grand imperial settings in laterMing and Qing versions. This evolution reflects amore profound engagement with urban life and abroader reflection of changing societal values andstructures over time. The increased complexity andrichness in the later versions highlight a significantemphasis on state power and architectural grandeur，indicative of shifts toward centralizing authority andaccentuating imperial prosperity and stability.

Additionally， each version serves as a culturalartifact， capturing the artistic， economic， andarchitectural zeitgeist of its era. The Song Dynastyversion emphasizes vibrant economic exchangesat river markets， reflecting a society thriving ontrade and commerce. In contrast， the Ming andQing versions， with their detailed urban scenesand elaborate depictions of palace life， illustrate ashift towards centralizing authority and showcasingimperial prosperity and stability. This researchemphasizes the ‘hinterland’—the transitional zonesbetween urban cores and rural outskirts—focusing onhow these intermediate spaces are portrayed to revealtheir evolving role in connecting and balancing thedynamics between central urban areas and peripherallandscapes. This nuanced exploration offersvaluable insights into their strategic importance inurban planning， historically and in contemporarysettings[6-9].

The enduring appeal and scholarly interestin this scroll stem not only from its artistice x c e l l e n c e b u t a l s o f r o m i t s c a p a c i t y a s ahistorical document. These evolutions can also beobserved in versions not analyzed in this paper（Figure 20）. By providing a window into the past，these paintings offer insights into the complexinterplay between urban expansion， architecturaladvancements， and social dynamics.

In conclusion， \"Along the River During theQingming Festival\" offers a profound reflection onthe development of Chinese urban landscapes overseveral centuries， presenting a broader narrative onhow urban environments are shaped and experiencedby their inhabitants. This artwork continues tofascinate both academics and the general public，linking historical perspectives with contemporaryinsights and fostering ongoing discussions aboutthe evolution and characteristics of urban settingsand the dynamics of city life. This perspective is notonly crucial for understanding historical patternsbut also for informing modern urban planning anddevelopment strategies.