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Vegetables, Volume 16

Pumpkin

The pumpkin is referred to here as "Nangua" (南瓜), which literally translates to "Southern Gourd." This name likely points to its introduction into China via southern maritime trade routes from the Americas, following the Columbian Exchange. In the Qing Dynasty, this work by Wu Qijun was considered the pinnacle of botanical accuracy, as seen in the detailed rendering of the plant's tendrils and ribbed fruit.