A hanging scroll, also known as a vertical scroll, is a style of Chinese painting and calligraphy mounting suitable for hanging and exhibition. It is also called a hanging scroll, hanging sheet, vertical scroll, vertical scroll, or simply a scroll; particularly narrow ones are sometimes called "qin strips" . Large paintings and calligraphy hung in the center of a hall are also called "zhongtang" . This style originated in the Northern Song Dynasty, flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and remains popular to this day. Compared to other mounting styles of Chinese painting and calligraphy, hanging scrolls are more public and exhibition-oriented; due to their relatively fixed size, the artist needs to create a continuous visual image within a limited space.
A hanging scroll is a long, narrow scroll of painting or calligraphy that hangs vertically. It is smaller than a zhongtang, with three feet as the dividing line; larger ones are called zhongtang, and smaller ones are called hanging scrolls. Its basic structure includes the top rod, bottom rod, scroll end, top edge, bottom edge, border, "startling swallow" ribbon, painting core, and backing paper. The top rod is used for hanging, while the bottom rod and scroll end facilitate rolling up; the "startling swallow" ribbon originally referred to a ribbon used to scare away insects and birds, but later evolved into a fixed decoration. The mounting and color scheme follow the principle of "light painting, dark mounting; dark painting, light mounting". Hanging scrolls are best viewed from a distance to appreciate their grandeur. Common forms include single scrolls, central scrolls, screen scrolls, couplets, horizontal scrolls, and fan scrolls.
