A section of The Night Revels of Han Xizai. [Photo/Hangzhou News]

The Palace Museum's renowned masterpiece, The Night Revels of Han Xizai, debuted at the Zhejiang Provincial Museum in Hangzhou on Aug 22, drawing long lines of visitors from early morning.

The 1,000-year-old painting is on display at the museum's Zhijiang campus and will be exhibited for only one month, through Sept 20.

Visitors must reserve a time slot through the museum's official mini-program, and daily admission is limited. Photography and video recording are prohibited in the exhibition area to protect the fragile artwork.

Attributed to Gu Hongzhong of the Southern Tang Dynasty (937-975), the silk painting depicts an evening gathering hosted by Han Xizai, a high-ranking official, featuring music, dancing, and entertainment. The surviving work is generally regarded as a Song Dynasty (960-1279) copy of an earlier original.

The 335.5-centimeter-long scroll unfolds across five interconnected scenes, depicting music, dancing, a brief rest, an instrumental performance, and the departure of guests. Han Xizai appears repeatedly throughout the scenes, while detailed depictions of musicians, dancers, furniture, clothing, and other objects offer valuable insights into the material and cultural life of the Tang (618-907) and Song periods.

According to Wei Zhuting, deputy director of the museum's history research department, the painting may have been connected to Hangzhou as early as 800 years ago, when the Song copy is believed to have circulated in Lin'an, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).