Song Huizong’s Dual Ruling Strategy of Confucianism and Taoism: An Interpretation of “Listening to the Guqin”

Since the establishment of the Northern Song Dynasty, the emperors consistently implemented a ruling policy that emphasized Taoism, with Taoist reverence reaching its zenith during the reign of Emperor Huizong. “Listening to the Guqin” is a typical representative painting from this period. Regardless of the actual author, this artwork reflects Huizong’s ideology and implicitly conveys his ruling intentions. This paper interprets the Taoist and Confucian imagery in the painting, supplemented by other contemporaneous works, placing the themes conveyed in “Listening to the Guqin” within the context of the Taoist movement and the political crisis during Huizong’s reign. It further considers how Huizong, in his capacity as ruler, leveraged Taoist reverence to consolidate his authority, while also using Confucian ideology – conveyed through paintings – as a medium for political indoctrination. By integrating artistic works with political strategy, this paper offers a new perspective on the political culture of Emperor Huizong’s era.