Jinshan Temple, River Min, Fukien province, China. Photograph by John Thomson, 1870/1871.

A temple on an island with a large spreading tree. Boats moored behind on the right hand side. The temple is Jinshan Temple, or the 'Pagoda Anchorage', as Thomson called it, is situated on the River Min, just west of Fuzhou. It is the only temple in Fujian that sits on the water. Due to the location, its style of construction is simple, with the result that not many visitors have been impressed by it. Thomson in his photograph, however, deliberately created a space so that the island appears to exist in isolation. This and the stillness of the water contribute to the effect of near-perfect serenity. The photograph seems to have been inspired by Taoist and Buddhist landscape art produced by Japanese and Chinese artists