An exhibition of pith paintings from the Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs Museum is being held on the Vessel SUISHUIBA No.19 at the Xidi Ferry Pier on May 25, which will last until the end of October with a topic of "View Tradition and Modernity along the Pearl River". Tourists are allowed to appreciate the beauty of pith paintings while cruising on the Pearl River.

Dubbed the "postcards of Guangzhou in the 19th century", pith paintings were first produced as a cultural export in Guangzhou during the 1900s, which are unique works of art that were formed in the cultural exchange and commercial trade between China and the West. The paintings covered a wide range of themes, including Guangzhou's natural and cultural landscapes, social life, and Chinese history and culture.

Liu Yi, the exhibition designer of the Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs Museum, said: "Many of the pith paintings are about the ships on the Pearl River. We hope that citizens can immerse themselves and learn about Guangzhou's cultural landscape in the 19th century while appreciating the beauty of the Pearl River by bringing the pith paintings onto the Vessel SUISHUIBA No.19." It is reported that the Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs Museum enjoys a collection of 500 sets and about 700 pieces of pith paintings, mainly donated by Wang Heng, Feng Jie and his wife, who have collected these works all over the world.

An introduction to the history of the rise and fall of pith paintings and a themed exhibition of pith paintings showcasing 42 exquisite replicas of pith paintings and several original pieces are included.

The paintings on exhibition covered diverse themes concerning Guangzhou harbour, Lingnan courtyards, famous Chinese tea and silk, portraits, animals, plants and more.It presents the natural scenes and cultural features of Guangzhou in the Qing Dynasty from multiple perspectives and reproduces the story of Guangzhou with the maritime Silk Road in the 19th century.

On the vessel, citizens and tourists can try their hand at creating pith paintings and figure out the difference between painting on pith paper and ordinary paper in the painting experience area.

游船看展！到穗水巴19船看19世纪的“广州明信片”

游船看珠江，领略通草画魅力。5月25日，“珠水流长阅古今”——广州十三行博物馆藏通草画图片展在西堤码头穗水巴19船正式开展，展览将持续至10月底。

通草画是19世纪在广州生产并销往海外，是中西商贸、文化交流中形成的独特绘画作品，可称为19世纪的“广州明信片”。通草画内容丰富，包罗万象，描绘了广州的自然、人文景观、社会生活以及中国历史文化等方方面面的内容。

广州十三行博物馆陈列部展览设计师刘益表示：“通草画有很多作品是描绘珠江船舶的风貌，将通草画搬上客轮，是希望市民在欣赏珠江两岸美景的同时，通过通草画穿梭19世纪，了解当时广州的人文景观。”据介绍，广州十三行博物馆收藏的通草画有500套、约700余幅，主要由王恒、冯杰伉俪无偿捐赠，集自世界各地。

本次展览精选42件精美通草画复制件展出，还有数件通草画原件，内容主要包括通草画兴衰的历史介绍和通草画主题展。

通草画主题展包括广州及珠江风貌、岭南庭院、珠江帆影、影响世界的中国商品——茶叶和丝绸、多姿多彩的人物形象、社会百态和文化、动植物、画家等。多角度展示清代时期的广州自然及人文风貌，再现19世纪海上丝绸之路的广州故事。

在穗水巴19船上，市民游客可以在通草画绘画体验区尝试创作，体验用通草纸绘画与普通纸张绘画的区别。

文丨羊城晚报全媒体记者 马思泳 严艺文 通讯员 荔宣 李家浚
图丨羊城晚报全媒体记者 马思泳
翻译丨陈萱
责编丨古司祺