Following the Footsteps of Japanese Monk Ennin’s Travels in Tang China

Old friends Ginny and Ye Xue held a joint exhibition at Ye Xue’s Studio in Xiaopucun Village. Over the years Ye Xue joined Ginny on many of her travels along Ennin’s paths as well as having helped at many of Ginny’s photos exhibitions. His painting of Ennin’s travels were also used in her book. They decided to put the images of their work together and to make a small brochure of the exhibition as well.

The photos in this exhibition are from explorations from 2001 to 2012. The paintings by Ye Xue of Ennin’s Travels in China were also done over this same period. We hope that this exhibition gives you an understanding of the importance of Ennin’s journal. At the same time we also wish that this will remind us of the long history of Japan/China cultural exchange and that many footsteps of friendship will continue to cross the ocean.

Virginia Stibbs Anami and Ye Xue April, 2012 Xiaopucun Village, Tongxian, Beijing