西方人眼中的清代中国神秘而绮丽，从珠江河上华美的画舫到妇女裹着的三寸金莲，凡此种种都引发西方人极大的好奇心。这些对中国的异想，造就了外销画的商机。采用西方绘画技法的通草纸画盛行于十九世纪晚清时期的广州，由于绘画内容充满中国风情丶价格便宜且方便携带，而成为留驻口岸的欧美商人丶收藏者丶水手等人士极受欢迎的纪念品。小小的通草纸画，既有助缩小中西之间彼此理解的差距，同时也反映了西方人对这片异域的一种浪漫想像。
本图册展示了香港中文大学图书馆所收藏丶绘制于十九世纪广州的通草纸画，呈现出一幅幅生动的昔日生活场景。飘洋近两个世纪后，这些既美丽又脆弱的“明信片”再次回到它的产地。尽管物换星移，然而中国百年前丰富的民生面貌透过薄薄的通草纸画得以留存下来，在我们面前仍然绚烂缤纷。
The Qing Dynasty of China was perceived as mysterious and beautiful in the eyes of Westerners. From the magnificent pleasure boats on the Pearl River to women with bound feet, all these sparked great curiosity among Europeans and Americans. These fantasies about China created a lucrative market for export paintings. Pith paper paintings, which adopted Western painting techniques, were prevalent in Guangzhou during the late Qing period in the 19th century. Due to their Chinese themes, affordable prices and portability, these paintings became popular souvenirs among European and American traders, collectors, and sailors residing at the port. These small pith paper paintings not only helped bridge the gap of mutual understanding between the East and the West, but also reflected the Westerners’ romantic imagination of this exotic land.
This album showcases the pith paper paintings collected by the Chinese University of Hong Kong Library. Created in 19th-century Guangzhou, these artworks vividly depict daily life scenes of that era. After almost two centuries, these beautiful yet fragile“postcards” have returned to their place of origin. Despite the changes over time, the rich social landscape of China from a century ago is preserved through these delicate pith paper paintings, still radiating with vibrant colours before us.
全名：A Vibrant Voyage from China 异想中国：Pith Paintings at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Library 香港中文大学图书馆藏通草纸画（Bilingual Edition 中英双语）
编辑顾问：Li Lai Fong 李丽芳、Ching May Bo 程美宝
ISBN：978-988-237-331-0
装帧：布面精装
语言：中英双语
页数：134
尺寸：240 x 190 mm
**编辑顾问简介**
**李丽芳**
香港中文大学图书馆高级助理馆长
Li Lai Fong Associate University Librarian, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
**程美宝**
香港城市大学中文及历史系教授、系主任，广东省高等学校珠江学者特聘教授（中山大学）。主要研究领域为中国近代社会文化史、岭南史、历史人类学等。
Ching May Bo Professor of History at the Department of Chinese and History, the City University of Hong Kong, and the “Distinguished Professor of the Pearl River Scholars” of Guangdong Province (Sun Yat-sen University). Her research interests include social and cultural history of modern China, the history of South China, and historical anthropology.