Cai Zhi Tu: Why did the Qianlong Emperor, before his accession to the throne, have two versions of himself—one old and one young—painted in a single work?

Among the emperors of ancient China, none was more fond of commissioning portrait painters to create his likeness than the Qianlong Emperor.
Throughout the Qianlong Emperor’s life, he left behind dozens of portraits on a variety of themes—court‑dress portraits, military‑dress portraits, informal‑dress portraits, Buddhist‑attire portraits, scenes of leisure, and hunting scenes—spanning his entire lifespan, from his youth when he was enfeoffed as Prince Bao to his eighties, when he had “retired to the second tier.” Portraits depict him in boyhood, young adulthood, middle age, and old age, covering every stage of his life.
Among these portraits, one stands out as particularly unique: “Gathering Herbs,” painted by the Western artist Giuseppe Castiglione.
In this painting, the Qianlong Emperor is depicted as a robust farmer gathering medicinal herbs, while beside him stands a young boy. Upon closer inspection of the boy’s features, one discovers that he bears an uncanny resemblance to Qianlong himself—almost as if he had been cloned.
Why did the Qianlong Emperor choose to disguise himself as a farmer and even have a young boy portrayed who looked exactly like him?
I. The Creative Context of “Picking Herbs”
At the time of the creation of “Picking Herbs,” Qianlong had already been enfeoffed by his father, the Yongzheng Emperor, as Prince Bao of the First Rank and had been designated as the heir to the throne.
However, having endured a protracted struggle for the imperial throne prior to his accession, the Yongzheng Emperor established a uniquely distinctive system of “secret succession.”
Although Qianlong was at the time the imperial prince most likely to inherit the throne, as long as his name did not appear in Yongzheng’s posthumous edict or in the sealed document behind the “Rectitude and Brightness” plaque in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, anything could still happen.
Thus, as the would-be emperor, Qianlong could neither reveal an eagerness to ascend the throne nor appear overly ostentatious.
Qianlong’s state of mind thus becomes the key to understanding the secrets embedded in this painting.
II. What Exactly Does the Painting “Picking Herbs” Depict?
The composition of “Picking Herbs” is remarkably simple, featuring only two figures—one seated and one standing—along with a deer.
Among them, the adult male farmer seated here wears a straw hat, his expression relaxed, his gaze fixed in one direction, lost in thought. With his left hand gently stroking a sika deer, he holds a ruyi scepter in his right.
By comparing his appearance in the imperial court portrait, we can confirm that this farmer is none other than the Qianlong Emperor himself.
Standing beside the farmer was a fair‑complexioned, well‑featured young boy. He looked up at the farmer, one hand bearing a hoe and the other carrying a small basket filled with mystical lingzhi herbs.
Moreover, in terms of facial features, he could hardly be distinguished from the Qianlong Emperor—indeed, they seemed to have been carved from the same mold.
Directly above the boy stands another poem, composed and personally inscribed by the Qianlong Emperor. The full text reads:
What trace of the carefree guest from the Azure Capital, who roams free for love of the azure clouds and mist? A bamboo basket brims with the elixir‑like fungi of the immortal rocks, while his straw sandals never tread the paths of the mortal world.
In this world, the human realm is like a mirror reflecting the heavens of Penglai; the rosy kerchief seems to bear the countenance of a celestial being from the South. Who can fathom that true visage of yore, now captured on fine silk—merely a chance occurrence?
Finally, the poem bears the colophon “Changchun Layman,” accompanied by his square seal reading “Treasure of Prince Bao.”
III. The Deeper Meaning of “The Gathering of the Herbs”
Lingzhi, with its cap adorned by concentric, cloud-like rings, has long been regarded as a “sign of auspiciousness” or “auspicious clouds,” symbolizing good fortune. Over time, it evolved into the motif of the ruyi scepter, becoming a common subject in ancient Chinese painting.
In the painting “Picking Herbs,” the Qianlong Emperor holds a ruyi scepter, symbolizing his aspiration to cultivate virtue throughout the realm while also expressing respect for and veneration of the elderly. In short, Qianlong seeks to bestow auspiciousness upon the empire and, at the same time, to present auspicious omens to the Yongzheng Emperor.
As the heir apparent, it is perfectly understandable that one would express filial piety toward the reigning emperor—his own father. Yet Qianlong’s decision to include both an elder and a younger “self” in this painting leaves one puzzled.
And the answer must be sought in this poem he composed.
First, the line “How could one be a carefree guest in the Pure Capital?” reveals Qianlong’s state of mind at this moment. Though he held the exalted title of Prince Bao, he nonetheless regarded himself as a transient guest dwelling in the Pure Capital—the imperial palace.
“In this world, the human realm is like Penglai; in the mirror, it is heaven—his rosy kerchief seems to echo the immortal of Nan Hua.” At this moment, he likened himself to the immortal of Nan Hua, seeking to convey to Emperor Yongzheng and all under Heaven that he harbored no worldly greed, devoting himself solely to carefree ease and joy, thereby projecting an air of transcendent sanctity.
Clearly, this painting reveals the Qianlong Emperor’s shrewdness and strategic acumen as crown prince—mirroring his father, the Yongzheng Emperor, who, before ascending the throne, devoted himself to vegetarianism and Buddhist devotion. And how, then, are we to interpret the little attendant standing nearby, whose features bear a striking resemblance to Qianlong?
“Who can recognize the true countenance of yesteryear? To have it captured on raw silk is but a chance occurrence.”
The adult man depicted in the painting bears a striking resemblance to Qianlong as he appeared when he was still Prince Bao of the imperial clan, while “the true visage of those years” refers to the young boy standing beside him. By deliberately placing his present self alongside his childhood self in the same frame, Qianlong seems to affirm that he has remained true to his original intentions and will forever preserve his unchanging essence.

Shi Tian Qianmu, leisurely beyond the clouds, goes to gather the spirit‑gathering fungus to plant for you.
——On the last day of the fourth month, I floated along the Ruoye River to Yunmen Temple, where, amid the comings and goings of fish and birds, the mountains seemed to sway.
Tao Wangling [Ming Dynasty]

Bamboo and Stone Bring Auspiciousness, Prosperity and Profit
Bamboo brings peace, and stone endures. The fragrant herb is an auspicious sign.

Bo Zhi Tu by Wang Su

      Zhi Xian Celebrates His Birthday
Traditional symbolic motifs. The “zhi” is a type of fungus that grows on dead wood; its flesh is tough and resistant to decay, displaying six colors—blue, red, yellow, white, black, and purple. Its cap is semicircular, adorned with cloud‑like patterns, and both the cap and stem shine with a lacquer‑like luster. In ancient times, the zhi was revered as an immortal herb, hence terms such as “zhi xian,” “lingzhi,” or “spiritual grass”; consuming it was believed to preserve youth and even bring the dead back to life. In pictorial representations, the zhi xian is often depicted in vermilion. Cao Zhi’s poem “Ode to Lingzhi” reads: “Lingzhi springs from heaven and earth, while crimson grass blankets the banks of the Luo River; its splendor gleams and dazzles, its radiance divine.” The motif of wishing longevity shares the same auspicious connotations as “gong shou” (offering blessings for long life). Cranes, evergreen flowers, peaches, and longevity stones all symbolize longevity. When these elements—such as the zhi xian, crane, evergreen flower, peach, and mountain of longevity—are combined into a design, the result is known as the “Zhi Xian Wishes Longevity” auspicious pattern.

      Picture of Zhishan Celebrating His Birthday

    Lingzhi bamboo
Bamboo carries profound cultural significance in China: its year-round greenery symbolizes tenacious vitality and eternal youth; its gracefully curved yet unbroken branches embody the principle of strength within gentleness; and its naturally segmented form, with each node visible, stands as a emblem of noble integrity. The bamboo’s upright elegance, forthright dignity, and refined grace have long been ideals cherished by Chinese literati.
Since ancient times, bamboo has been revered as the “gentleman.” The word “bamboo” (zhú) is a homophone for “to wish” (zhù), carrying the auspicious connotation of good fortune, while its segmented structure symbolizes steady progress and upward advancement.
Lingzhi symbolizes “everything goes as one wishes,” while bamboo represents “rising higher with each step.” Together, the bamboo segments and lingzhi convey the spirit of continuous progress, fulfilling one’s aspirations, and achieving ever-greater success.
Bamboo symbolizes “humility,” while lingzhi, also known as “the herb of immortality,” represents “longevity.” When bamboo and lingzhi are paired, it conveys the blessings of “natural harmony and fulfillment” and “humble virtue and enduring life.”
      Illustration: Ganoderma and Bamboo; Picture of Elegant Bamboo with Ganoderma

    Jade stone and longevity together.
The painting “Orchids, Bamboo, and Auspicious Stones” takes the continuation of life and the flourishing of descendants through virtue as its central theme.
    Rock and Orchid—Wang Xue Tao; Rock and Orchid, Shared Longevity—Feng Chaoran; Double Longevity of Rock and Orchid—Qian Shou Tie
      Deer in the Grassland Painting
This work carries auspicious symbolism, embodying the blessings of fortune, prosperity, and longevity. The deer represents official rank and wealth, while the lingzhi mushroom signifies long life, and the flowing water evokes the boundless abundance of fortune. Thus, the composition seamlessly unites the deer, the lingzhi, and the water.
      Deer in the Bamboo Grove – Zhang Yuguang

      A hundred years of good health and longevity
“Bai Ling Mei Shou” is a celebratory phrase wishing one a long life of a hundred years. “Mei Shou” refers to advanced age. It originates from Yu Shinan’s “Ode to the Pipa” of the Tang dynasty: “May you enjoy a hundred years of Mei Shou, and your charming smile be worth a thousand pieces of gold.”
      Bailing Meishou – Golden Heart Orchid

      Cymbidiums and orchids share longevity.
In the Xunzi, it is written: “Its people cherish me and rejoice in me as they would their parents; they love my fragrance as they would that of orchids and fragrant herbs.” Like many things endowed with personified symbolic meanings, orchids and fragrant herbs—“growing in the forest, they do not cease to be fragrant because no one is there” (from the Family Sayings of Confucius)—came to be likened to the noble virtues of a gentleman. (In Han Jiao Gan’s Yilin, it is said: “The orchids and fragrant herbs of South Mountain are what the gentleman possesses.”) Later, this metaphor was further extended, applied to outstanding descendants, used to praise the flourishing of another’s children and grandchildren, and even gave rise to expressions such as “orchids and jade trees” and “orchids and osmanthus blooming together in fragrant harmony.”
    Xu Fang’s cursive‑script scroll of the “Poem on Longevity”
      Orchids and Orchids Share Longevity—Li Fenggong; Orchids and Orchids Share Longevity—Zhang Daqian; Orchids and Orchids Share Longevity—Zhang Dazhuang; Orchids in the Empty Valley—Wu Changshuo