From the 17th century until the First Opium War (1839–1842), Canton (Guangzhou) was the only city in China open to trade with the West. Beginning in the 18th century, paintings depicting scenes of ports, people, and Chinese life were made by artists in Canton for Western traders to bring home. These artists incorporated European mediums and artistic techniques, resulting in a uniquely hybrid style of painting. This set was originally produced as a continuous scroll. It reflects how Chinese artists were still working within the traditional Chinese pictorial format while incorporating Western styles of representation. The scroll opens from left to right, instead of right to left typical of traditional Chinese handscrolls.The paintings depict a panoramic view of the journey downriver from Canton to Whampoa (Huangpu), which foreign traders would have been intimately familiar with. While Canton was where trade was conducted, Western ships anchored about 20 km away in the deep-water channels of Whampoa. Ships and their crews would stay in Whampoa harbour for several months, while their cargoes were carried to and from Canton in smaller vessels.
