摘要
In Picturing Heaven in Early China, a consideration of the symbolism of Heaven in early Chinese culture, Lillian Lan-ying Tseng examines the evolution of a pictorial language for the expression of ＂religious＂ ideals. By analyzing the architectural, material and literary evidence from the Han dynasty, the author traces the trajectory of Han thought from its first concerns with the notion of Heaven and the involvement of the emperor, to the growing desire for personal immortality at all levels. The book comprises five chapters, which plot the development of Han thought and images of heaven. This is a complex and well-researched examination, whose depth and detail can only be suggested here. The first chapter begins with a consideration of the early ideas of heaven and the imagery that conveys its main characteristics.
In Picturing Heaven in Early China, a consideration of the symbolism of Heaven in early Chinese culture, Lillian Lan-ying Tseng examines the evolution of a pictorial language for the expression of ＂religious＂ ideals. By analyzing the architectural, material and literary evidence from the Han dynasty, the author traces the trajectory of Han thought from its first concerns with the notion of Heaven and the involvement of the emperor, to the growing desire for personal immortality at all levels. The book comprises five chapters, which plot the development of Han thought and images of heaven. This is a complex and well-researched examination, whose depth and detail can only be suggested here. The first chapter begins with a consideration of the early ideas of heaven and the imagery that conveys its main characteristics.
