宋元明時期,《長江萬里圖》集結出現,一方面,精英文人的繪畫與詩文題跋共同形塑長江意象,構建以長江地域和歷史認同為核心的文化共同體,極大地強化了民族存在感、認同感;另一方面,長江圖進入晚明的圖譜類書,轉化為可供大眾消費的文化產品,通過版刻的復制、再現和傳播,在公共傳播領域擴大影響,成為被廣泛接受的文化意象和國家象征。

During the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, there emerged in large numbers of paintings under the title of Ten-Thousand-Mile Yangtze River. On the one hand, these paintings with inscribed poems and essays by elite literati collectively shaped the image of the Yangtze River, and established a cultural community with regional and historical identity centering on the Yangtze River. This greatly strengthened the sense of national identity and its presence. On the other hand, these paintings were collected into classified books as encyclopedic references during the late Ming dynasty, and became cultural products for mass consumption. Through copying, reproduction and dissemination of engravings, the paintings entitled Ten-Thousand-Mile Yangtze River expanded their influence in the field of public communication, and became a widely accepted cultural image and national symbol.