Appreciation of the complete set of Min Qiji's "Meeting the True"
After the opening of the sea in 1567 during the reign of Emperor Longqing, Yuegang (the estuary of the Jiulong River in Zhangzhou, Fujian) became a hub for private trade. China maintained a sustained trade surplus in silk and porcelain, while Europe paid its deficit with American silver. Zhang Juzheng's " Single Whip Law " imposed taxes on silver, establishing the legal status of silver and boosting market efficiency nationwide.
During the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty (particularly during the Jiajing and Wanli reigns), industry and commerce flourished in the Jiangnan region, and the urban middle class grew, creating a vast market for books. Books were not only sought after by the literati, but also became a consumer good for leisure and entertainment (such as novels and operas) and practical tools (such as agricultural books, medical texts, and almanacs).
Book dealers kept a close eye on the best-selling books of the day, competing to publish them for profit. Woodblock printing technology made great strides. During the Chongzhen period, Hu Zhengyan, a native of Huizhou, invented the techniques of using copperplate and arched patterns, which he created in the "Ten Bamboo Studio Painting Album," bringing woodblock printing to perfection.
Min Qiji, who styled himself " Sanshan Yike, " was a prominent Ming Dynasty publisher. In 1643, at his sixtieth year, he published "Six Illusions of Meeting the True," a collection of six different texts that chronicle the evolution of the story of "The Romance of the Western Chamber." The original edition is now housed in the National Library of China. The accompanying "Meeting the True" prints, featuring 21 six-color prints and fantastical layouts and meticulously detailed depictions, represent a pinnacle of ancient Chinese woodblock printing. The only remaining copy is now housed in the Museum of East Asian Art in Cologne, Germany.
Min Qiji wrote: "How can all worldly and transcendental dharmas be called true and illusory? How can all things be called neither dharma nor dharma, called both true and illusory? The talented Yuan Zhen (author of "Meeting the Truth") remembers the myriad truths, yet can he truly experience them in the realm of illusion? Dong (Dong Jieyuan of the Jin Dynasty), Wang (Wang Shifu of the Yuan Dynasty), Guan (Guan Hanqing of the Yuan Dynasty), Li (Li Rihua of the Ming Dynasty), and Lu (Lu Cai of the Ming Dynasty) describe them with all their might, turning them upside down and stirring them up. It is indeed illusory, yet who could have known that within them lies truth?"
In this upside-down, real and illusory world of love, let us quietly appreciate the masterpiece created 400 years ago!
Small statue of Yingying
Figure 1 A rare encounter with the Buddhist temple
Figure 2: Monk Dormitory Loan
Figure 3: Flower shade singing
Figure 4: The Qingjiao Ceremony
Figure 5 White Horse Rescue
Figure 6 Dongge Inviting Guests
Picture seven cups of wine against the alliance
Figure 8: Qin Xin teasing
Nine pictures and brocade words convey feelings
Figure 10 A glimpse of the dressing table
Figure 11: Climbing over the wall at night
Figure 12: Qianhong asks about illness
Figure 13: Good time under the moon
Figure 14: Clever debate in front of the classroom
Figure 15 Farewell at the Changting
Figure 16: A Dream on the Grass Bridge
Figure 17: Victory Announcement in Gold
Eighteen feet of white and sorrow
Figure 19: A cunning scheme to seek a partner
Figure 20 Returning in glory
