Traditional Customs of the Spring She Festival
In traditional Chinese folklore, the fifth Wu day (戊日) after the Beginning of Spring (立春) marks the ​Spring She Festival, a day for worshipping the land deity to pray for a bountiful harvest

The Concept of “She” (社)
The term “She” refers both to the ​land deity and the ​sacred site for worship. Farmers traditionally held rituals during sowing and harvest seasons to pray for blessings or give thanks, giving rise to two annual festivals: ​Spring She (春社) and ​Autumn She (秋社)

Artistic Features of Spring She Drunken Return
The painting captures the whimsical charm of villagers stumbling homeward after festivities, set against a backdrop of revitalized spring foliage. Its composition mirrors Wang Jia’s poetic imagery of rural jubilation

. Though the scroll bears Zhu Rui’s signature dated to the ​Shaoding era (1229), scholars note stylistic similarities to Ming Dynasty brushwork, suggesting later additions

The scroll includes four colophons by renowned literati:

1. ​Xianyu Shu (鲜于樞) (Yuan Dynasty): A lyrical ode to wine’s transcendental joy, inscribed in 1282
2. ​Liu Guan (柳貫) (Yuan Dynasty): A contemplative poem on rural tranquility, dated 1344
3. ​Ni Zan (倪瓚) (Yuan Dynasty): A philosophical reflection on impermanence and the solace of wine
4. ​Yu He (俞和) (Ming Dynasty): A toast to agrarian harmony and seasonal abundance

About the Artist
Zhu Rui (active late Northern Song to early Southern Song) was a Hebei-born court painter renowned for landscapes and snowscapes. He served in both the ​Xuanhe Painting Academy (宣和画院) of the Northern Song and the ​Shaoxing Academy (绍兴画院) after the dynasty’s southward retreat, earning titles like Digong Lang (迪功郎) and a golden belt honor

. His works often feature travel and labor themes, such as caravan journeys and winter hunts