“One of the most famous — and longest — paintings of Chinese antiquity will go on display this month in its entirety for the first time ever. Engineers at the Beijing University of Technology have built a 52-foot-long case weighing 5 tons and costing $247,000 to display ‘Qingming Shanghe Tu,’ or ‘Qingming Festival on the River,’ the official China Daily newspaper reported. The 12th Century work has long been praised for its realism and historical detail in portraying social and commercial life in an ancient Chinese city. Yet, its size, and fears of damage to the delicate colors and silk on which it was painted have prevented it from ever being shown publicly. The original painting measured more than 16 feet long.”