Journey to Shu

The handscroll Journey to Shu depicts the tragic end of the famous love story between Emperor Xuanzong (685–762) and his concubine Yang Guifei. Traditionally attributed to the artist Qiu Ying (ca. 1494–1552), this painting is modeled on another much older version of the same theme, which, like this work, portrayed the flight of Emperor Xuanzong to Shu (modern-day Sichuan) in 756 during the An Lushan rebellion. Unravel the story map below and learn more!