A Day on the Grand Canal with the Emperor of China or: Surface Is Illusion But So Is Depth (1988) is a Documentary film that follows director Philip Haas and artist David Hockney invite you to join them on a magical journey through China via a marvelous 72-foot long 17th-century Chinese scroll entitled The Kangxi Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour (1691-1698), scroll seven . As Hockney unrolls the beautiful and minutely detailed work of art, he traces the Emperor Kangxi’s second tour of his southern empire in 1689. Currently, you can watch A Day on the Grand Canal with the Emperor of China or: Surface Is Illusion But So Is Depth on Criterion Channel, Kino Film Collection. Streaming availability may vary by country and platform over time. It has a user rating of 8.0 out of 10 from 2 votes. Fans of documentary movies may also want to explore similar titles below.