From the Readers
Song of the Swan Gate
Updated: Jun 12, 2024
By Liu Jingxi
chinaservicesinfo.com
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This illustration is inspired by the Tang Dynasty (618-907) poem Song of the Swan Gate written by Li He (790-816). It depicts the tense atmosphere on the eve of a great battle and the soldiers' determination to defend the city.
In the illustration, large areas of dark colors and a few spots of fire highlight the urgent situation. The sunset piercing through thick clouds on the left and the golden light on the soldiers' armor echo the original phrase "golden scales" in the poem, emphasizing the tense state as the army approaches the city and portraying the soldiers' spirit of heroically fighting to the death to defend their country.
