Typically comprised of towering mountains and flowing streams, landscapes emerged as the principal subject of Chinese painting by the Song dynasty (960–1279) and have remained preeminent amongst the arts of East Asia for over 1000 years. The Chinese-style depiction of landscapes spread in the 14th and 15th centuries, soaring to popularity in Korea during the Choson dynasty (1392–1910) and in Japan during the Muromachi period (1392–1573). Landscapes—whether real or imagined -- reflected the philosophical search for the principles that underlie the unity and harmony of nature, a search intricately linked to Daoism.