Eastern Han (25–220). Height 88cm. Mural painting in tomb of Han Dynasty, Zaoyuan, Pinglu, Shanxi Province. 

In an ancient tomb in Pinglu County, Shanxi Province, a bird's-eye view landscape mural was discovered. Layer upon layer of mountains covered with dense vegetation create a pastoral scene, with the mountains and nearby farmland forming a farming and grazing picture. In terms of painting style and technique, there are significant differences between the mountains depicted in this artwork and the immortal mountains in the paintings of the Western Han Dynasty. The latter may appear as three peaks or have a mushroom-like shape, which is distinct from the natural appearance of mountains.  

This piece is compiled from the Chinese edition of Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting by Foreign Languages Press and Yale University Press, translated by Chen Ying.