Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) was celebrated not only for his scholarly achievements in Confucianism but also for his profound mastery of Han culture. Today, the Palace Museum in Beijing houses numerous portraits of Qianlong dressed in Han attire, leading many young people today to jest that he was a master in cosplay. In this particular painting, a youthful Emperor Qianlong is depicted wearing traditional Han clothing, playing a guqin beside a lake (top right). In the distance, towering mountains rise majestically, while a flowing stream runs nearby. Under his pavilion, blooming lotuses add to the serene beauty (bottom left). The vases inside the pavilion are also adorned with lotus flowers. Besides the vase is a plate with fruit. The crystal mountain-like subject in the plate is mysterious. I inquired my mentor, vice president of the museum, she is not sure either. We guess it could be just a piece of ice or a crystal artifact (bottom right). Although this idyllic scene is imagined, it reflects the emperor’s scholarly persona, finding joy in natural landscapes and companionship in the sounds of the guqin. A closer inspection reveals that the facial features of Qianlong and his two attendants are rendered in a Western style. This suggests that the painting was likely a collaborative effort between a Western painter responsible for the portraits and a Chinese artist who painted the landscape, merging both artistic traditions.