This album, attributed to the Tang dynasty calligrapher Yan Zhenqing, contains a series of linked verses (lianju) written in regular script. The album consists of 15 leaves, each varying slightly in size, with heights of 28.2 cm and widths of 13.7 cm.
The album bears seals from various collectors and connoisseurs, including: Song dynasty seals "Shaoxing," "Yufu Zhi Yin" (Imperial Seal) and "Jixi Jingzhi" (Respectfully Inspected by Jixi); Ming dynasty seal Wang Shimao;
Qing dynasty seals Liang Qingbiao, An Qi; modern seals Ye Gongzhuo, Zhang Heng.
The first leaf has a caption in regular script that reads, "Yan lugong Zhushan Lianju Shitie, Shangshangpin" (Yan Zhenqing's Bamboo Hill Hall Linked Verses Poem Scroll, Top Quality). Colophons at the back of the album include Mi Youren in Song dynasty as well as Yao Nai and Tie Bao in Qing dynasty.
In March of Dali Year 9 (774 AD), Yan Zhenqing, who was serving as the Governor of Huzhou, gathered with friends at the "Bamboo Hill Hall" in the home of his friend Pan Shu. During the banquet, Yan Zhenqing and his guests, including Li E, Lu Yu, the monk Jiaoran, Lu Shixiu, and Wei Jie, took turns composing two lines of poetry each, which were then linked together to form the "Bamboo Hill Hall Linked Verses." This work is later attributed to Yan Zhenqing, who was 66 years old at the time.
The original format of this work was a single continuous scroll, which was later cut and mounted into an album, resulting in a patchwork appearance and disrupting the original composition. Yan Zhenqing's regular script typically features fine horizontal strokes and thick vertical strokes, characterized by its grandeur and majestic presence. His most renowned work in this style is the "Self-Written Appointment Document" (Zishu Gaoshen), which is known for its clear and dignified clarity. However, in this particular work, the horizontal and vertical strokes show no variation and lack the usual contrast in thickness, appearing monotonous and flat. Despite this, the colophon by Mi Youren, added by imperial order of Emperor Gaozong of the Song dynasty, confirms that this album was part of the imperial collection during the Shaoxing period. This indicates that the cutting and mounting of the work occurred no later than the Shaoxing period, but it is not an authentic work by Yan Zhenqing. There is currently no consensus on whether this is a copy made by a Tang dynasty calligrapher or a Song dynasty calligrapher.
Catalogue References include Dongtu Xuanlan" (Eastern Pavilion Review) by Zhan Jingfeng in Ming dynasty, "Pingsheng Zhaunguan" (A Lifetime of Grand Views) by Gu Fu, "Shigutang Shuhuahui Kao" (Shigutang Compilation of Calligraphy and Painting) by Bian Yongyu, "Moyuan Huiguan" (Comprehensive View of Calligraphy and Painting) by An Qi in Qing dynasty.
