Second Day of Second Month
'Second Day of Second Month'
Yangjiabu, Shandong
53 x 31 cm
modern reprint of early 20th century image
As spring arrived in the north farmers began to think about the approaching agricultural season. Agriculture had always been the most important industry in China and it was the duty of the Emperor to recognize this fact, in part through the Spring Ground Breaking Ceremony, held on the second day of the second lunar month. Here we see the Emperor in his yellow robes as he ploughs a furrow in the company of his ministers and empress, who watches the scene from her sedan. This image in particular demonstrates that the rituals of the state were not conducted for the elite alone, and that the common farmer was well aware of his imperial patron.
copyright 2003
