Mountains Ablaze: Foreign Devils and Chinese Patriots 1839–1911

The “Mountains Ablaze” exhibition presents the history of late-Qing period China (1839–1911) through the lives of eighty-seven significant personalities who have, until recently, been both politically and culturally unpopular. In the century since the 1911 revolution, it has been possible to take a more objective view of the achievements of this group of foreigners who were closely identified with cultural imperialism, officials who served in the Qing court, scholars who were considered faithful to classical culture and literature, and yimin (loyalists) who were considered to have opposed both the Republican revolution and the Communists. On display are valuable artefacts on loan from Mr Soong Shu-kong, offering insights into the recent history of East-West cultural exchange. The exhibition includes examples of Chinese painting, calligraphy, personal correspondence, books, and scholars’ objects. Many of the exhibits are on display for the first time and are published in this two-volume catalogue authored by Mr Soong.