Animation based on paintings brings Qing glory to the fore

The National Museum of China is now showing an animated movie based on an ancient painting that depicts scenes from a Chinese emperor's grand visit to a part of his kingdom.

The 14-minute movie was derived from the first scroll of the Emperor Qianlong's Southern Inspection Tour, part of an epic series of paintings that has been housed in the museum since 1959, and traces the emperor's departure from Beijing for his trip to South China. It also allows visitors glimpses of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) glory.

The original series is composed of 12 paintings from the time, and was earlier placed at the National Museum of Chinese History, which was later merged into the NMC.