Hall of Classics (Guozijian), Peking: a triple archway of sculpted marble leading to the hall. Photograph by John Thomson, 1871.

A large, triple-arched, gateway, faced with carved marble and decorative tiles. A man standing in the central opening. The ground is wet. "Through the arches can be glimpsed the Biyyongong or Imperial School Room" (Pearce loc. cit.)

Guozijian, or the National University, was the highest national learning institution through three dynasties – the Yuan, the Ming and the Qing. It was established as the Imperial Academy or Imperial College in 1306. This triple archway, or honorary portal has a roof covered entirely with yellow glazed tiles. This is the only archway in Beijing erected to honour education, declaring that, in imperial China, learning and knowledge hold a central place. There are inscriptions by the Qianlong emperor on both sides of the archway. The Guozijian was built on this site in 1783 (Pearce, op. cit.). Later, the Capital Library and subsequently part of the Capital Museum

1871

1 photograph : glass photonegative, wet collodion ; glass approximately 20.5 x 25.5 cm (8 x 10 in.)

Temple Yuan Ming (Yuan?), China Bears Thomson's negative number: "490"

This is one of a collection of original glass negatives made by John Thomson. The negatives, made between 1868 and 1872, were purchased from Thomson by Sir Henry Wellcome in 1921

Nick Pearce, Photographs of Peking, China 1861-1908: an inventory and description of the Yetts collection at the University of Durham: through Peking with a camera, Lewiston, N.Y.: Edwin Mellen Press, 2005, no. 22, pp. 92-93

China through the lens of John Thomson, 1868-1872, Beijing: Beijing World Art Museum, 2009, p. 64 (reproduced)

Wellcome Collection 19236i