Winter is a time when people appreciate their creature comforts, especially some good food and warmth, as well as the touch of a friendly hand and a cozy chat beside the fireplace. In ancient China, literati tended to put a premium on highlighting the joys of winter, and many liked to imbue a sense of romance to their aesthetic depictions of the snow-covered landscapes. The Ming Dynasty painting "Thatched Cottage Covered by Snow" is considered one of the most representative landscape paintings by Tang Yin (1470-1524). It offers a breathtaking panorama of snowy mountains towering up toward the sky. The conspicuous white patches indicate areas covered with snow -- almost pure white, giving a feeling of fresh air. Several thatched cottages appear on the hillside, while only a few people can be seen on this freezing cold day. Everything appears to be plain and quiet. Produced by China Media Group, the cultural program "China in Poetry and Painting" invited famous broadcasting artist Qu Xianhe and dancer Li Xiang to play the figures in the painting, exhibiting the sensuality and poetic atmosphere of a snowy vista through the art of recitation and dance.

The painter Tang Yin, also called Tang Bohu, is known as one of the "Four Masters of Ming Dynasty" alongside Shen Zhou, Wen Zhengming and Qiu Ying. Tang Yin was also a talented poet and a skilled calligrapher. His masterpiece "Thatched Cottage Covered by Snow," now housed in the National Museum of China, is a rare landscape painting that depicts winter scenes. It features a precipitous peak covered in snow that occupies the majority of the scene. On the mountainside stands a little pavilion, in front of which the branches of gnarled old trees intertwine with each other. The water on the ground from melted snow merges into a stream, flowing past the pavilion. At the foot of the mountain, a solitary ambler is seen walking along the snow-piled path, holding an umbrella to shield him from the elements. It seems that he is heading towards a wine shop beside the road. A flag is hanging under the roof to solicit customers, waving in the breeze. At the bottom-right corner of the painting, a solitary fisherman hunkers down in his boat, sheltering from the freezing wind and snow. Washed with beautifully graduated ink, the sky projects a misty atmosphere, imparting a feeling of gloom to the painting.

In traditional Chinese culture, the "thatched cottage" serves as a metaphor reflecting the literati's spiritual pursuit of seeking contentment amid poverty. According to Kang Zhen, vice-principal of Beijing Normal University, the artist wanted to focus on people's behavior on a snowy day, rather than the snow-filled scenery itself. In "Thatched Cottage Covered by Snow," although people are cocooned in a world of snow, things remain relatively even and unchanged. They appear happy warming water on a brazier to boil wine, gazing upward at the mountains, or simply contemplating the winter scenery. Despite the severe weather, people adapt to the harsh conditions and enjoy their lives, revealing the painter's well-nourished spiritual world and appreciation of living a simple life. Against a backdrop of towering peaks and pure white snow, the walking figure appears tiny and almost unnoticeable. The umbrella covers his face, making him a nameless figure, and leaving it up to viewers to imagine what his identity may be. The painting gives spectators a peek into Tang Yin's inner world, where romance and poetry are hidden in the snowy scenery of mountains and rivers.

On the "China in Poetry and Painting" stage, broadcasting artist Qu Xianhe and dancer Li Xiang portray this masterpiece in forms of recitation and dance. Li Xiang is dressed as the walking figure depicted in the painting, holding an umbrella. As the flute music begins to play, his movements become wilder, then he starts to dance in the misty winter twilight across the snow. Qu Xianhe plays an elderly man sitting in a boat, holding a book with a pot of incense by his side. He strolls leisurely beside the water, reciting poems and occasionally laughing.

The color of winter lies partly in our imagination. As the poem inscribed on "Thatched Cottage Covered by Snow" states, "where there is literature and a pot of incense, there is the most peaceful place for a poet." As long as the poetic romance of art exists, the world of snow in poetry and paintings can always be teeming with life. Artists have condensed their thoughts and feelings in their works, lighting a lamp for us in the cold winter while leaving an oxygen bar for our mind.