Picture scroll of Jinkun and other ice players

[Jinkun and other ice play pictures]

Ice play pictures, Qing Dynasty, Jinkun, Cheng Zhidao, Fulongan and other paintings, silk, color, 35 cm vertical, 578.8 cm horizontal
Ice play is a sports activity with seasonal characteristics. In the Qing Dynasty, there was the custom of ice playing in winter in the palace, which was regarded as “national custom”. Emperor Qianlong said that “ice playing is the most important part of the national system”. Every year, select “ice walking” experts from the eight flag officers and soldiers to enter the palace for training, and hold ice play on the Xiyuan ice during the winter solstice to “March 9”. The emperor led the princes and ministers to watch the match. After the match, the emperor graded and rewarded silver
The ice playing place depicted in this picture should be the water surface south of the Golden Aoyu Rainbow Bridge (now the Beihai Bridge). The performance is the turning dragon shooting ball project. The gorgeous ice bed of the emperor is surrounded by people on the right side of the picture. On the ice rink, flagmen and archers are arranged at intervals, hovering and zigzagging on the ice, looking from a distance, and winding like dragons. Near the throne, there is a gate with a ball hanging on it, which is called the celestial sphere. When the dragon team slides here, shoot arrows respectively, and the winner will be rewarded. In addition, there are various acrobatic performances in the skating team, such as knife dancing, overlapping and figure skating. The performers’ various postures make the cold winter full of vitality
Emperor Qianlong repeatedly ordered painters to draw pictures of ice play and collect them. This kind of picture scroll should be a kind of realistic work to reproduce the scene at that time
In the picture, you can see all the pavilions and pavilions in the West Garden. The misty houses and frosty branches indicate that the north is in severe winter
On the screen, there is the Preface of Emperor Qianlong’s “Making Ice Play” written by Ji Huang