The Palace Museum in Beijing will host a landmark exhibition titled Paradigms: Calligraphy and Painting of the Tang and Song Dynasties at the Hall of Literary Brilliance (Wenhua Dian) from September 1 to November 1, 2026. The prestigious showcase brings together 107 ancient Chinese calligraphic works, paintings, and stone rubbings, comprising 103 treasures from the Palace Museum’s permanent collection alongside four rare masterworks on loan from the Shanghai Museum, Shanxi Museum, and Henan Museum. Highlights include renowned national treasures such as the Song-dynasty copy of Gu Kaizhi’s Nymph of the Luo River, Zhan Ziqian’s Strolling About in Spring, Yan Liben’s The Emperor Taizong Receiving the Tibetan Envoy (Bunian Tu), and Du Mu’s Poem on Zhang Haohao.
To present a comprehensive evolution of Chinese classical brushwork while safeguarding delicate historical relics, the exhibition will be staged in two distinct phases: Phase One (September 1–27) focuses on Tang and Five Dynasties masterpieces, while Phase Two (September 30–November 1) highlights calligraphy and painting from the Northern and Southern Song dynasties. Curators have designed the narrative to systematically trace stylistic transitions and spotlight the foundational aesthetic canons and artistic paradigms established during this golden era. Complementing the exhibition, the Palace Museum Publishing House will release an official illustrated catalogue featuring four scholarly research essays.
For international travelers and art connoisseurs planning their autumn China travel itineraries in Beijing, this special exhibition offers an extraordinary opportunity to view some of the rarest surviving examples of early Chinese ink art. Admission to the exhibition is included with standard Palace Museum general admission tickets, though visitors must secure reservations in advance via the museum’s official WeChat mini-program to ensure optimal viewing conditions. The world-class curation at the Forbidden City provides global guests with an authentic, deep immersion into China's timeless cultural heritage.