本文的目的是在檢視在過去兩千年內幾何透視是如何的被應用於中國繪畫中以及深度視知覺對此種應用的影響。傳統的觀點認為中國繪畫中的透視運用缺乏整體性的組織。然而，進一步的細究，中國式透視實際上是遵循著一些為了解決在長幅畫捲上表現透視的難題而發展出來的嚴謹規則。它的主要原則符合傾斜式的正交透視(亦即，橫線為水平而向後退的正交線為斜率相同的斜線)。較少為人所知的是，十三世紀之後，中國繪畫逐漸偏離正交透視的原則開始有了變化。許多中國繪畫中，正交線出現了相當程度的輻輳現象。這些輻輳的出現可能是為了要修正嚴格正交透視所造成的發散錯覺。此外，一些局部性的偏離正交透視可能是要解決收斂性的透視錯覺，如Shepard illusion 。此種錯覺會讓遠方的物件，如桌腳，看起來比其他相同大小的東西來的小。我們將這些在中國繪畫中廣泛出現的原則放在Panofsky 所揭櫫的架構下來討論。亦即，透視是對空間的象徵性的表徵，而非表面性的描述。

The goal of this overview is to take a critical look at the use of geometric perspective in Chinese art through the millennia. Although its use is often considered to be disorganized and uniformed, Chinese perspective is seen to follow well-prescribed principles and to follow a rational solution to the problem of depicting perspective in the extended scroll formats adopted in this culture. Its dominating principle is that of oblique orthographic perspective (in which transversals are shown as horizontal and receding orthogonals conform to a uniform oblique). In a little-known relaxation of this scheme beginning in the 13th century, many Chinese paintings incorporate a notable degree of convergence among orthogonals within local regions of a scene, ameliorating the strong illusion of divergence that is perceived in the strict orthographic scheme. This subtle form of oblique convergence seems likely to have been developed to compensate for this divergence illusion. A corresponding compensation can also be found for the converse effect that can be noted in perspective illusions such as the Shepard illusion, which shows a paradoxical reduction in the perceived size of far elements such as table legs. The widespread employment of these stylistic choices in Chinese painting is evaluated in the framework of Panofsky’s characterization of perspective as a symbolic rather than literal form of space representation and of its role in the culture of the imperial courts of the Chinese dynasties.