Lowering the Mast to Cross the Bridge (Text)

Lowering the Mast to Cross the Bridge

The river is full of such cargo vessels transporting various goods and food items to different locations in the city.<br/><br/>This particular one is arguably the most dramatic among all the ships in the painting. The entire crew is frantically trying to lower the mast before crossing under the Rainbow Bridge. People on top of the Bridge, as well as those on both shores, are all watching this dramatic scene intently. Some even appear to be shouting at the crew to give their advise on how best to avoid the imminent accident.<br/><br/>In the Northern Song (960-1127), the Bian River has become one of the major water routes that the government uses to transport agricultural products from the south to the capital city of Kaifeng. Moreover, many merchants also use the Bian River to transport and distribute their goods in the capital area. The volume of water traffic is therefore extremely high, as it is depicted in the painting here.<br/><br/><br/>To learn more, see the following link(s):