In 2025, the National Palace Museum in Taiwan celebrated its centennial with the opening of the special exhibition “Encounter of a Millennium – Legends of the Northern Song Dynasty Poetry and Painting Gathering” in October.
The National Palace Museum in Taiwan expressed that how many once-in-a-lifetime opportunities can one encounter in their life? Everyone is fortunate to have experienced the first one, which is the centennial celebration of the museum. The second one that one absolutely should not miss is the meticulously planned special exhibition “Encounter of a Millennium – Legends of the Northern Song Dynasty Poetry and Painting Gathering” in honor of the museum’s centennial and the 12th anniversary of its opening in Taipei.
The “Poetry and Painting Gathering in the Western Garden” has been a legendary dream for literati for thousands of years. It is said that during the Northern Song Dynasty, the royal prince Wang Shen held a literary gathering in the Western Garden of Bianjing, where literary geniuses of the time such as Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Li Gonglin, and Mi Fu were present.
Li Gonglin later illustrated and Mi Fu wrote to commemorate this rare “Poetry and Painting Gathering in the Western Garden.” Despite debates throughout the ages on the authenticity of this gathering, it did not hinder people’s fascination with the Poetry and Painting Gathering in the Western Garden. Over the centuries, this legendary literary gathering has been continuously praised and has become the prototype for subsequent literary gatherings to emulate.
The special exhibition “Encounter of a Millennium – Legends of the Northern Song Dynasty Poetry and Painting Gathering” aims to recreate this literary event by showcasing numerous national treasures, including the only existing calligraphy masterpiece by Su Shi, “Preface to the Poem ‘Red Cliffs’,” Huang Tingjian’s representative running script work “Self-Composed Poem at the Songfeng Pavilion,” and Mi Fu’s masterpiece “Shu Su Tie.”
Furthermore, the National Palace Museum in Taiwan borrowed Li Gonglin’s “Five Horses Painting” from the Tokyo National Museum, Shu Cheng Li’s “Traveling and Lounging in Xiao Xiang” painting, and Li Gonglin’s “Mountain Villa Painting” from the Guimet Museum of Asian Art in France, allowing the star artists of the art world from a millennium ago to reunite at the museum.
Notably, the “Five Horses Painting,” lost for eighty years and only reappeared in 2019, made its first overseas appearance in Taipei at the centennial exhibition of the National Palace Museum. The exhibition is divided into three major sections, taking viewers back to the Northern Song Dynasty when scholars gathered.
The first section, “Poetry and Painting Gathering in the Western Garden,” showcases the continuation and transformation of the gathering across different eras, displaying artworks by relevant attendees and exploring themes such as the leisure of the study room, banquet entertainment, and gatherings of the elderly, enriching viewers’ understanding of the Poetry and Painting Gathering.
The second section, “Heart’s Contentment,” presents the works of the most renowned figures from the gathering like Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu, and Li Gonglin, whose selected works have become models, each a masterpiece integrating poetry, calligraphy, painting, and spirituality, pioneering new paths for scholars and artists to find contentment.
The third section, “Models of the Generations,” exhibits the works of later generations who emulated the literary elite of the Northern Song Dynasty, demonstrating their historical significance and influence, as well as different interpretations and understandings of the dominant styles of the Northern Song Dynasty across various periods.
The curator and director of calligraphy and painting documentation, He Yanquan, likened the Poetry and Painting Gathering in the Western Garden to a play directed by the first idol of the Northern Song Dynasty, Su Shi, leading the main characters Huang Tingjian, Li Gonglin, and Mi Fu, supported by twelve other charming actors, forming an unparalleled cultural ensemble and lineup that history cannot surpass, drawing countless fans from future generations.
This influence has also spread to South Korea and Japan, becoming a radiant chapter in East Asian civilization history. Regardless of the truth of the gathering a thousand years ago, their original works are soon to reunite at Wai Shuangxi. He urged the public not to miss this once-in-a-lifetime cultural feast and sincerely invited everyone to step into the legendary future together.