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Produced in 1988 in association with China Central Television, this three-part series is mainly a travelogue. Edmund Capon, who received his master's degree in Chinese Art and Archeology and became the director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, is the guide. The program follows him with his Chinese counterpart on a trip by boat, bus, and train around China. Views of the landscapes and people, as well as shots of specific sites such as Buddhist temples, predominate. The most beautifully filmed art objects are the Chinese porcelains, ceramic figures, and bronze vessels, yet these are limited in number and repeated throughout the series, and the many shots of Capon dressing, shaving, smoking a cigar, eating, and sleeping seem inappropriate to the subject matter. In his narration, Capon attempts to define what is quintessentially Chinese. For viewers who are interested in art history and the influence of history on art and culture, this series will be disappointing. While Capon says that the objects included in the program represent Chinese art, there are no comparisons with neighboring nations with long and venerable artistic traditions, such as Korea, which would help the viewer learn to distinguish what makes an art object specifically Chinese. Few charts are given, making it hard to follow the sequence of dynasties and the location of all the sites and landscapes. While the second and most cohesive and convincing program focuses on the influence of Buddhism on the art and people, examples of any Tibetan Buddhist sites or mention of Tibetan influences on Chinese art and architecture are conspicuously absent.
--Anne Barclay Morgan
