The Qianlong Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour, Scroll Four: The Confluence of the Huai and Yellow Rivers (Qianlong nanxun, juan si: Huang Huai jiaoliu) 1770

This handscroll, one of four depicting the Qianlong Emperor's 1770 inspection tour of southern China, shows the Emperor's imperial barges navigating the confluence of the Huai and Yellow Rivers, a journey that is depicted in incredible detail by the artist Xu Yang. The painting, which is over 35 feet in length, is a perfect example of the meticulous and realistic style of landscape painting favored in the Qing dynasty. The image is striking in its depiction of the vast scale of the river, which is shown in a detailed, almost map-like perspective, making it a crucial source for studying Qing-dynasty water transportation.