There was a long history in the artistic exchange between China and Japan,however,a great change which was from teacher to student for China took place in the relationships of the artistic exchange between China and Japan in the beginning of 20th century,which not only reflected the Chinese open attitude to learn the foreign culture and arts,but also caused a serious self-inferiority.

Placing the essays by Yuan Daohong and Wang Siren in the literary background of Ming Dynasty, this paper analyses the symbolism of water in these essays which manifests the quality of "naturalness and elegance" and "gentleness and masculinity" as well as their heterogeneous beauty.