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Shen Zhou: Lofty Mt. Lu, 1467.

The above marvellous picture by Shen Zhou is an excellent instance of the traditional Chinese painting style called shan shui. Since shan shui translates literally to mountain water, images painted in the fifth-century art style feature rivers, waterfalls and mountains prominently. A further characteristic is that the artist uses a brush and ink rather than more conventional paints to bring the natural landscapes to life. Although the scenery seems realistic in a way that such a sight existed at some point in the past, all shan shui pictures are fictional, ideal panoramas. On the first impression, some would think that the painter has much creative freedom apart from the painting material and theme. However, artists must follow rigorous, complicated requisites for balance, composition and form. Furthermore, the Chinese elemental theory, wuxing, specifies the principles of colour choices and colour harmony.

Throughout the twenty-minute runtime, every scene in the short Feeling from Mountain and Water is a less restrictive shan shui painting in motion. Following the typical characteristics of the Chinese art style, almost every scene contains a water source. Additionally, the film utilizes an impressive, gorgeous ink-wash animation, which is unique to China. Despite the simplistic appearance of ink paintings, their production is expensive and intricate, and the artists need a lot of skill and expertise. Because of high demands in costs and qualified staff, the animation style went extinct during the 1990s. This movie, completed in 1989, is one of the last to use ink-wash animation. Coincidentally, the short is also the final film directed by the Chinese Tei Wei, the director of the first ink-wash animated movie, Where is Mother, released in 1961.

Another traditional Chinese element incorporated into the short is the seven-string musical instrument guqin. The ancient zither, played by famous historical personalities like Confucius, is a quiet instrument whose sound is produced by plucking strings. Within the modest but touching plot, the guqin plays an essential role in the story and is the only instrument used in the score. Albeit the lack of dialogue might turn some people off despite the story's simplicity, the combination of field recordings and the playing of a guqin exceeds any possible form of spoken dialogue. Together with the astounding visuals, the movie highlights the exceptional beauty of nature, the importance of passing traditions to the next generation and little gestures of kindness.

In summary, Feeling from Mountain and Water is a splendid collection of distinctive traditional Chinese aspects. Because of its short runtime and relaxing nature, it is the perfect film to watch after a busy day on your bed. Luckily, the movie is officially available on YouTube with decent quality.