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This grand figural scene is sometimes mistaken for a Dragon Boat Festival celebration. In fact, it depicts an episode from Emperor Yang of Sui’s southern excursion to Jiangdu, as described in Chapter One of Romance of the Two Dynasties of Sui and Tang 隋唐两朝志传 by Luo Guanzhong (罗贯中, c.1330–c.1400).
The passage provides the background to this imperial journey. While still Prince of Jin, Yang Guang secured the succession through intrigue and violence, eventually usurping the throne. After his accession, he indulged in extreme luxury, commissioning vast palace complexes such as the Xianren Palace and the Western Park in Luoyang, which were filled with rare treasures and elaborate spectacles. Court life became dominated by music, dance, and continual revelry, a lifestyle exemplified by his extravagant nocturnal entertainments in the Western Park, further illustrated in the entry on ‘<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/night-revel-of-the-emperor-yang-of-the-sui-dynasty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Night Revel of the Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty</a>’.
Encouraged by Empress Xiao, who praised the splendour of Jiangdu, the emperor resolved to travel south in pursuit of ever greater pleasures. Ignoring loyal remonstrance and heeding only flattering counsel, he set out on a grand imperial progress, intent on exhausting the delights of the realm. Upon reaching Jiangdu, his indulgence deepened still further, as reflected in the related scene of ‘<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/emperor-yang-of-sui-appreciating-lotus-at-jiangdu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emperor Yang of Sui Appreciating Lotus at Jiangdu</a>’.
During this journey, the emperor travelled aboard an immense dragon boat constructed in the form of an imperial palace, complete with halls, terraces, and quarters filled with court ladies, musicians, and performers. Hundreds of accompanying vessels stretched for miles along the waterways, while tens of thousands of conscripted labourers hauled the boats from the banks. Torches illuminated the route through the night as if it were day, and cavalry units rode in formation along both shores under a forest of banners. Along the way, local officials were compelled to supply provisions for the vast retinue. The resulting spectacle—palace women towing the boats, guards riding alongside on land, and the emperor feasting amid music and dance—captures both the grandeur and the excess of his reign, and serves as a lasting moral critique.
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story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
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Related Figures &amp; Stories:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/bo-yi-and-shu-qi-trying-to-stop-the-mighty-zhou-army" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bo Yi and Shu Qi Trying to Stop the Mighty Zhou Army</a> 伯夷、叔齐叩马谏周王
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/duke-ling-of-jin-sending-his-dog-to-attack-zhao-dun" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Duke Ling of Jin Sending His Dog to Attack Zhao Dun</a> 晋灵公嗾獒咬赵盾

Emperor Yang of Sui Travels South of the Yangzi

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The story of Cai Xiang’s building of the Luoyang Bridge comes from a popular play in the Ming dynasty. It blends history with legend. In the Northern Song, Cai Xiang—renowned calligrapher and prefect of Quanzhou—undertook the building of the Luoyang Bridge. The project took seven years to complete and has stood for nearly a millennium, linking the river’s two shores.
Legend says that before Cai was born, his mother once faced a storm at the ferry. The ferryman had dreamt that only a Cai Zhuangyuan—a top scholar bearing the surname Cai—could avert disaster. As the boat nearly capsized, a heavenly voice proclaimed: ‘A Cai Zhuangyuan is on board—none may harm him.’ The storm ceased, and his mother vowed that her son, if successful, would build a bridge to save others.
Years later, Cai Xiang achieved the highest degree and returned as prefect, determined to fulfil his mother’s vow. Funds were scarce until Guanyin Bodhisattva descended in disguise as a maiden in a lotus boat, inviting the wealthy to cast gold and silver at her in hopes of winning her hand. The boat soon brimmed with treasure. Yet <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/lv-dongbin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lv Dongbin</a>, one of the Eight Immortals, mischievously aided a poor youth, Weituo: under his spell a copper coin struck the hem of Guanyin’s robe. Caught off guard by the immortal’s trick, she transformed Weituo into a statue at Mount Putuo, opposite her own image. The wealth she gathered, however, allowed Cai Xiang to complete the great bridge—remembered ever since as both a feat of devotion and a tale of wonder.
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image identification and story scene description by Dr <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni </a>
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Other ancient figures and stories:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/ji-zha-hanging-the-sword" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ji Zha Hanging the Sword </a>季札挂剑 (延陵挂剑)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/the-righteous-aunt-of-lu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The ‘Righteous Aunt’ of Lu</a> 鲁义姑舍子救侄

Cai Xiang’s building of the Luoyang Bridge

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Hongwu Porcelain – The Treasure in Ming Dynasty Founded by Zhu Yuanzhang

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