The Story
Chinese painting history is also a history of survival. Silk rots, paper burns, dynasties collapse, collectors add seals, and masterpieces are copied so many times that the copy becomes the historical witness. The Admonitions Scroll survives not as Gu Kaizhi's original but as an early copy now in the British Museum; Nymph of the Luo River is known through multiple Song Dynasty versions; Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains was burned in 1650 and split between Hangzhou and Taipei. These works are high-value search targets because they combine art history, palace collecting, repatriation debates, and dramatic backstories. They also explain why Chinese painting prizes transmission, inscription, and connoisseurship as much as the image itself.
Artifacts in This Theme
Painting
Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains
The greatest Chinese landscape painting ever created — a 7-meter handscroll by Yuan master Huang Gongwang that was burned in two in 1650 and remains divided between Taipei and Hangzhou to this day.
Painting
Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies
Attributed to Gu Kaizhi, this is the most important early Chinese figure painting in existence — a political allegory on virtue and female conduct that has been in the British Museum since 1903.
Painting
Nymph of the Luo River (Luo Shen Fu Tu)
A narrative scroll depicting the tragic love between the poet Cao Zhi and the goddess of the Luo River — one of the most romantic stories in Chinese literature and one of the most copied paintings in history.
Painting
Along the River During the Qingming Festival
One of the most celebrated paintings in the entire history of Chinese art — a panoramic masterpiece capturing daily life along the Bian River during the Qingming Festival in the Song Dynasty capital of Kaifeng.
Where to See Them
National Palace Museum (Taipei) / Zhejiang Provincial Museum
The British Museum
The Palace Museum (Forbidden City)
The Palace Museum
In Popular Culture
2018 · Huanyu Film / iQiyi
Story of Yanxi Palace
With over 15 billion views on iQiyi alone, Story of Yanxi Palace became the most-Googled TV show worldwide in 2018 — a Qing Dynasty drama praised for its obsessively accurate reproduction of Forbidden City material culture.
4 artifacts →
2020 · miHoYo / HoYoverse
Genshin Impact — Liyue
Liyue is the Chinese-inspired region of Genshin Impact, a free-to-play open-world RPG with over 60 million monthly active players worldwide.
3 artifacts →
Frequently Asked
What is the "Lost Masterpieces of Chinese Painting" theme about?
China's most famous paintings often survive as copies, fragments, or politically charged treasures abroad — from the Admonitions Scroll in London to the divided halves of Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains.
Which artifacts are part of "Lost Masterpieces of Chinese Painting"?
This theme groups 4 artifacts, including Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies, Nymph of the Luo River (Luo Shen Fu Tu), Along the River During the Qingming Festival. Each entry on this page links to the artifact's full record with provenance, dating, and museum source.
Where can I see the artifacts in this theme in person?
The pieces in this theme are currently held by National Palace Museum (Taipei) / Zhejiang Provincial Museum, The British Museum, The Palace Museum (Forbidden City), and The Palace Museum. Some institutions rotate their displays, so we recommend checking the museum's website before visiting.
Is this theme based on academic sources?
Yes — every claim links to a primary or scholarly source, including Wikipedia — Chinese painting, Smarthistory — Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains. The full list of references is shown in the sidebar of this page.
Why is "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" considered iconic for this theme?
The greatest Chinese landscape painting ever created — a 7-meter handscroll by Yuan master Huang Gongwang that was burned in two in 1650 and remains divided between Taipei and Hangzhou to this day.