Twelve long, narrow faded scrolls laid side by side, depicting a sage-coloured mountainous landscape of a village.

Peach Blossom Spring, 1719

Set of twelve hanging scrolls; ink and colour on silk

Yuan Jiang


Mactaggart Art CollectionUniversity of Alberta MuseumsGift of Sandy and Cécile Mactaggart2004.19.11
Sepia toned detail with a group of individuals gathered on a path in the middle of a small village
Lowercase I in a black picture frame that links to this work of art on the UAlberta Museums Search Site.

This set of hanging scrolls illustrates the fable titled “Peach Blossom Spring” originally written by Tao Yuenming in 421 AD. The fable is about a fisherman who accidentally sailed into a heavenly utopia where people live in peace and harmony but have lost connection with the outside world and the passing of time. This became an important story in Chinese culture as it symbolized the ideal world and inspired many later poems and paintings.

These scrolls were created by the artist Yuan Jiang, who was a significant painter of Chinese landscapes during the Qing Dynasty.

Peach Blossom Spring consists of twelve individual hanging scrolls that together create one magnificent scene.