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The Water Mill and Northern Song imperial patronage of art, commerce, and science - China
Art Bulletin, The, Dec, 2002 by Heping Liu
Imperial patronage was vital to the success and proliferation of milling, as in all public agrarian projects in the history of China. For instance, in the late fifth century the second Qi emperor Wudi (r. 483-93) made an inspection of a new water mill built by the noted mathematician and engineer Zu Chongzhi (429-500) in the imperial park Leyouyuan.
(45) This and earlier occasions of similar imperial engagement may have set exemplary precedents for the two brother-founders of the Northern Song dynasty, Taizu and Taizong (r. 976-97). Taizu made his first visit to the West Water Mill in the capital city in the autumn of 965,46 and five years later in 970 he established the West and East Water Mill Agencies. The imperial visit in 965 must have been a major contributing factor to the creation of the first two water mill agencies, as imperial visits often initiated new imperial projects. (47) Taizu made three visits to the two water mill agencies in 974 and another in 976. (48) In the last quarter of the tenth cen tury, the unprecedented imperial favors of Taizong furthered the importance and prosperity of milling. In 977 alone, he made four visits to water mills in the vicinity of the capital, and he rewarded the workers of one of these with clothes and silk brocades. He visited a water mill twice more, in 980 and 993. (49) Immediately after their visits to the mills, both emperors attended archery banquets at imperial parks. (50) Illustrations of similar imperial events in the eleventh century include Imperial Archery Banquet at the North Camp (Fig. 9) and Imperial Inspection of the Bian Flood Control (Fig. 10), two sections from the scroll Four Events of the Jingde Era (1004-7), probably made to commemorate the life of Taizong's son and successor, Zhenzong (r. 998-1022). (51) A colophon accompanying the latter section dates the event to 1006 and relates that the laborers who worked all night to save the dikes were personally rewarded with presents of money by the emperor, while those who were drowned in action were buried at public expense. (52) The abbreviated and schematic style in rendering architecture, landscape, and human figures may have resulted from the fact that the illustrations were originally intended to be drawings for woodblock prints. (53) The two emperors also enjoyed watching fish during their visits to the water mills. (54) The availability of a fish tank or reservoir for the emperor's relaxation shows the refinement of these milling facilities. In the Shanghai scroll, a body of water in front of the water mill is enclosed by the two projecting terraces (Fig. 1), which, with its running water and rich supply of wheat and flour as food, makes a perfect home for fish. Behind the railing of the high terraces are ideal spots for fish watching.
