What is the earliest existing landscape painting in China?

The earliest existing landscape painting in China is You Chuntu.

You Chuntu is a painting created by Zhan Ziqian, a painter in Sui Dynasty. Green silk book with the words "Zhan Ziqian and You Chuntu" inscribed by Song Huizong. Now it is in the gallery of the Palace Museum in Beijing. Very representative in early landscape paintings, it is the only work handed down by Zhan Ziqian, and it is also the oldest picture scroll so far.

The layout of the whole painting is dominated by natural scenery, and figures and Buddhist temples are dotted among them, which breaks away from the shackles of traditional painting, such as "there are more people than mountains, water can't be flooded, and trees stretch." In terms of brushwork and color application, You Chuntu has embodied the characteristics of early green landscape painting, that is, "mountains, rivers, trees and stones are all empty, and only colors are used for rendering".

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In the Qing Dynasty, You Chuntu was returned to the Qing government by Liang Qingbiao, An Qi and others, and then the Qing Dynasty went to ruin. This painting was taken to the east building of Changchun Puppet Manchu Palace for collection with Puyi. After the Japanese surrender, the Puppet Manchuria Palace was looted, and You Chuntu also defected to the northeast folk.

Finally, Mr. Zhang Boju was forced to sell his mansion and his wife Pan Su's jewelry to collect 200 taels of You Chuntu and present it to the Palace Museum on 1952.

Baidu Encyclopedia-You Chuntu