The Travels Within The Intrinsic Mountain ---Ni Zan’s "Landscapes Of Mountain Yu" And Other Relevant Cultural Contexts

《Mountain Yu landscapes》, from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum o f Art, is a significant work of Ni Zan’s later years.During his visit to Mountain Yu to see his mentor and friend Bo Wan in 1371, Ni Zan commemorated Bo Wa n’s generosity and their friendship by drawing the mountain. As a painting that d ocumented the landscape,《Mountain Yu landscapes》 exhibits a rich variation and distinct development from Ni Zan’s original painting methodologies and spatial co impositions. These changes had presented a better representation of what Ni Zan a nd Southern literary scholars experienced during their travels around their homelan d.Only by looking at the history and style of execution can we seek to have a b etter understanding of the painting.This paper will first analyze the painting styles and composition of 《Mountain Yu landscapes》. The"the technique of separating two mountains with a river"technique is familiar in Ni Zan’s works, which becomes even more apparent in his works in his later years. Through looking back at his earlier works, we can understand that the Ni Zan’s painting 《Mountain Yu landscapes》 presents a stark difference from his earlier style. Ni Zan’s basis of the technique of separating two mountains with a river" were decisive and confident, demonstrating delicate but rich manipulation of his painting techniques. However, 《Mountain Yu landscapes》 appears to be a more simple, bleak and quiet painting as compared to his past works. The paper will next analyze the inscriptions and seals within 《Mountain Yu landscapes》 to demonstrate the painting’s intentions of not only commemorating the friendship between Ni Zan and Bo Wan, but also to document his travel in Mountain Yu. Besides the sophistication and maturity of Ni Zan’s painting skills in his later years, his objective and need to monumentalize his experience and the trip were important factors that contributed to the affecting and impressiveness of the painting. After the trip in Southern China with his friend, Ni Zan dedicated himself to the making of the painting not only to signify the friendship, but to also reveal the pursuit of intrinsic value of the Southern scholars. Mountain Yu is not only one of the famous mountains of Southern China, it also holds profound cultural connotations and is a prominent symbol of Southern China. Under the governing of foreign rule from different tribes and the additional regime change, the Southern scholars needed to exceed beyond themselves, detach from their pursuit of cultural values in order to achieve spiritual peace. Towards the end of Yuan Dynasty, the exchanges within the Southern literary scholars and the literary circle accelerated the development of documenting landscapes". 《Mountain Yu landscapes》 has become a representation of "documenting landscapes" and is the vessel of hope and friendship.After our general comprehension of the specific history periods and the functions of the painting, we have developed more understanding towards the cultural connotations of 《Mountain Yu landscapes》. Not only does it signify the friendship between Ni Zan and his friend and the nature trip that they shared, it also carry the identity and idealism of culture and intrinsic values of the southern literary scholar.