To this day, there are altogether 195 designated historical artifacts on the list of the National Cultural Heritage Administration that can never leave Chinese soil. Among them, 20 are paintings, a genre most susceptible to gradual damage with the passage of time. 

Luckily for visitors to the cultural relic exhibition entitled “The Making of Zhongguo – Origins, Developments and Achievements of Chinese Civilization” held recently at China’s Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, they had a chance to take a closer look at the most treasured of them all  – Zhan Ziqian’s Spring Excursion (展子虔游春图) which ranks number one on the aforementioned list. While it may already be a bit dull in color, its significance cannot be understated.

So, what is it that makes this painting so special?