Peach Blossom Spring

Depictions of the Peach Blossom Spring of Wuling derive from the famous prose preface to a poem composed by the ancient Chinese poet Tao Yuanming (365–427). The preface tells the story of a fisherman from Wuling who, while poling his boat upstream along a river he had never before fished, came upon a grove of blossoming peach trees lining both banks and discovered water gushing into the river from a spring in a hillside cave. Passing through the cave, he emerged into an enchanted valley where people had fled from wars during the Qin era (221–207 B.C.) and remained isolated since then. Fishing and farming, they led wellfed, happy lives and begged the fisherman not to leave and reveal their secret. However, after a few days’ stay, the fisherman furtively departed, returning to Wuling to report his experience. Of course, the returning expedition could never again find the way back. This large painting presents a faithful depiction of the story, with the fisherman in the foreground advancing his boat upstream.