
ThePortraits of Periodical Offering (simplified Chinese:职贡图;traditional Chinese:職貢圖;pinyin:Zhígòngtú) were tributary documentative paintings (with illustration on each of the portrait) produced by variousChinese dynasties and later as well in other East Asian dynasties, such as Japan and Vietnam. These paintings were official historical documents by the imperial courts. The term "職貢圖" roughly translates to "duty offering pictorial". ThroughoutChinese history, tributary states and tribes were required to send ambassadors to the imperial court periodically and pay tribute with valuable gifts (貢品;gòngpǐn).
Drawings and paintings with short descriptions were used to record the expression of these ambassadors and to a lesser extent to show the cultural aspects of these ethnic groups. These historical descriptions beside the portrait became the equivalent of documents of diplomatic relations with each country. The drawings were reproduced inwoodblock printing after the 9th century and distributed among the bureaucracy in albums. ThePortraits of Periodical Offering of Imperial Qing by Xie Sui (謝遂), completed in 1751, gives verbal descriptions of outlying tribes as far as the island ofBritain inWestern Europe.
ThePortraits of Periodical Offering ofLiang (梁職貢圖) was painted by the futureEmperor Yuan of Liang, Xiao Yi (ruled 552–555 CE) of theLiang dynasty while he was a Governor of the province ofJingzhou as a young man between 526 and 539 CE, a post he held again between 547 and 552 CE, and had the opportunity to meet many foreigners.[1][2][3] It is the earliest surviving of these specially significant paintings. They reflect foreign embassies that took place, particularly regarding the threeHephthalite (Hua) ambassadors, in 516–520 CE.[4][5] The original of the work was lost, but three copies or derived works are known.
A surviving edition of this work is a copy from theSong dynasty in the 11th century, theSong copy of the Portraits of Periodical Offering ofLiang (梁職貢圖宋摹本),[6] and is currently preserved at theNational Museum of China. The original work consisted of at least twenty five portraits of ambassadors from their various countries. The copy from the Song dynasty has twelve portraits and descriptions of thirteen envoys; the envoy fromDangchang has no portrait.[7] The work included individual descriptions, which follow closely the dynastic chronicleLiangshu (Volume 54).
The envoys from right to left were: theHephthalites (滑/嚈哒),Persia (波斯),Korea (百濟),Kucha (龜茲),Japan (倭),Malaysia (狼牙脩),Qiang (鄧至),Yarkand (周古柯),Kabadiyan (呵跋檀),Kumedh (胡蜜丹),Balkh (白題), and finallyMerv (末).[4][3][7]
The remaining countries, now lost, are thought to have been: Gaojuli高句麗 (Goguryeo), Yutian於闐 (Hotan inXinjiang), Xinluo新羅 (Silla), Kepantuo渴盤陀 (Tashkurgan塔什干 in present-dayXinjiang),[8] Wuxing fan武興藩 (inShanxi), Gaochang高昌 (Turpan),TianmenMan天門蠻 (somewhere between Henan, Hubei, and Guizhou), Dan 蜑 Barbarians of Jianping建平蠻 (between Hubei and Sichuan), and Man 蠻 Barbarians of Linjiang臨江蠻 (EastSichuan). There may also have been: Zhongtianzhu中天竺, Bei tianzhu北天竺 (India), and Shiziguo獅子國 (Sri Lanka), for a total of twenty-five countries.[3]
Some of the main portraits are:
ATang period painting consisting in a version of theLiang Dynasty portraits of Periodical Offerings, entitledThe Gathering of Kings (王會圖,Wanghuitu).[9] It was probably made byYan Liben.
From right to left, the countries are Lu (魯國) which is a reference to theEastern Wei,Rouran (芮芮國),Persia (波斯國),Baekje (百濟國),Kumedh (胡密丹),Baiti (白題國),Merv (靺國), CentralIndia (中天竺),Sri Lanka (獅子國), NorthernIndia (北天竺),Tashkurgan (謁盤陀), Wuxing City of theChouchi (武興國),Kucha (龜茲國),Japan (倭國),Goguryeo (高麗國),Khotan (于闐國),Silla (新羅國),Dangchang (宕昌國),Langkasuka (狼牙修),Dengzhi (鄧至國),Yarkand (周古柯),Kabadiyan (阿跋檀), Barbarians of Jianping (建平蠻), Nudan (女蜑國). See thecompleteWanghuitu.
Some of the main portraits are:
Emperor Yuan of Liang, Xiao Yi (552-555 CE) made another painting entitled "Entrance of the Foreign Visitors" (番客入朝圖), now lost. A copy named "Entrance of the Foreign Visitors of Emperor Yuan of Liang" (梁元帝番客入朝圖) was made by the painter Gu Deqian (顧德謙) of theSouthern Tang dynasty (937–976 CE), native ofJiangsu.[10]
From right to left, the countries are Lu (魯國) which is a reference to theEastern Wei,Rouran (芮芮國),Tuyuhun (河南), CentralIndia (中天竺),Western Wei (為國),[a]Champa (林邑國),Sri Lanka (師子國), NorthernIndia (北天竺),Tashkurgan (渴盤陀國), Wuxing City of theChouchi (武興蕃),Dangchang (宕昌國),Langkasuka (狼牙修),Dengzhi (鄧至國),Persia (波斯國),Baekje (百濟國),Kucha (龜茲國),Japan (倭國),Yarkand (周古柯),Kabadiyan (阿跋檀),Kumedh (胡密丹國),Baiti (白題國), Barbarians ofLinjiang (臨江蠻),Goguryeo (高麗國),Gaochang (高昌國), Barbarians ofTianmen (天門蠻), Barbarians ofJianping (建平蠻),Hephthalites (滑國),Khotan (于闐),Silla (新羅國),Kantoli (干陀國),Funan (扶南國).
ThePortraits of Periodical Offering of Tang by painterYan Liben, depicting foreign envoys with tribute bearers for theTang dynasty arriving atChang'an in 631, during the reign of theEmperor Taizong of Tang. The painting consists of 27 people from various states. The original work was lost, and the only surviving edition was a Song dynasty copy, which is currently preserved at theNational Palace Museum in Taipei.[12]
In the mid-18th century during theQing dynasty, the painter Xiesui (謝遂) again painted aPortraits of Periodical Offering of the Imperial Qing (Huángqīng Zhígòngtú皇清職貢圖), completed in 1759, with a second part added in 1765, showing various foreign people known at that time, with texts in Chinese andManchu. See thecomplete Huangqing Zhigongtu.

Ten Thousand Nations Coming to Pay Tribute (simplified Chinese:万国来朝图;traditional Chinese:萬國來朝圖;pinyin:Wànguó láicháo tú, 1761) is a monumental (299x207cm)Qing dynasty painting depicting foreign delegations visiting theQianlong Emperor in theForbidden city inBeijing during the late 1750s.[13]
The painting was intended to show the cosmopolitanism and the centrality of theQing Empire, since most countries of Asia and Europe are shown paying their respects to the Chinese Emperor.[13][14] The title literally refers to ten thousand countries ("万国"), but this simply has the meaning of an uncountable multitude.
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