this book owes a great deal to others. Over the long process of research and writing, I
have received valuable advice, constructive critiques, and useful suggestions from teachers,
colleagues, and friends, to whom I owe a debt of gratitude. I am especially grateful to Professors Ju-hsi Chou, Mayching Kao, and Robert Hillenbrand for their careful reading and
comments on parts or all of the manuscript and for offering me unfailing support over
years. I also owe thanks to Professor Craig Clunas for his scholarly advice and kind encouragement. Particular thanks are due Puey-pang Ho and Desmond Hui for materials, references, and advice on Chinese architecture. I am equally grateful to Grant Evans for his advice on social anthropology and for his inspirational example and support.
For financial and institutional support while I was conducting the research, I would like
to acknowledge the University of Hong Kong, the Taipei Trade Centre Exchange Scheme,
the Tsui Family Foundation Scholarship for Academic Exchange, the University of Edinburgh, National Museums of Scotland, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Cleveland
Museum of Art. In addition, I wish to acknowledge the following people for granting me
the opportunity to examine original architectural paintings during my visits to museums or
art institutions: Yang Xin, Shan Guoqiang, and Nie Chongzheng of the Palace Museum;
Lu Changsheng of the Museum of Chinese History; Wang Hongxun of Rongbaozhai; Xie
Yongnian of the Central Institute of Fine Arts; Shan Guolin of the Shanghai Museum; Li
Kunsheng of the Yunnan Provincial Museum; Lin Poting of the National Palace Museum;
Mino Yutaka of the Osaka Municipal Museum of Art; Tomita Jun of the Tokyo National
Museum; Maxwell Hearn of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; and Yang Xiaoneng of the
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Special thanks are due Madam Xia Weixia and James Wang
for their gracious hospitality when I conducted my research in Beijing.
Finally, I would like to thank my publisher for the interest in my book. Special thanks
are due the editors and the external readers, whose comments and assistance greatly helped
to improve the text.