Description: Thirty-Six Views comprises poems and descriptions published by the Kangxi emperor in 1712 commemorating his newly finished summer palace and reflecting on his life there. The text is accompanied by wood-block prints of its most scenic views created by several outstanding court artists and copperplate engravings by Italian artist Matteo Ripa.
Brief description: Richard E. Strassberg is Professor of Chinese in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of California, Los Angeles.