Learn chinese calligraphy

Calligraphy is a mystery. Chinese symbols come from drawing. Ancient Chinese people draw some figures to carry the meanings. As it evolves during the long history, it become learn chinese calligraphy.

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Tang dynasty is the dynasty that calligraphy is taken most serious. As a result, a lot of great calligraphers appeared, including Yan Zhenqing.

Wang Sengqian (426-485) is the 4th generation grandson of Wang Xizhi. He was good at Kai Shu.

Ruan Yuan. Zi: Wen. Born in Chen Liu (northwest of Kai Feng in He Nan province), his calligraphy is like flying spring.

The first blooming period of calligraphy as an art should be at Han dynasty. An calligrapher, Liang Hu went to restaurant but didn't bring money. He wrote on the wall. People there liked to pay for him by watching his calligraphy. A lot of great calligraphers appeared in Han dynasty. Unfortunately, they usually didn't sign them name after their calligraphy work. There're some great calligraphy works of Han dynasty of unknown calligraphers. Also most scripts formed at Han dynasty such as Li Shu, Cao Shu, Xing Shu, Kai Shu.

The South and North dynasty is also a dynasty with great achievement. There're a lot of tablets of North Wei (386-534) with great calligraphy. People called calligraphy works of this period as Wei Bei, which means tablets of North Wei dynasty. Like tablets in Han dynasty, the calligrapher of most of them are unknown.

Zhang Zhi (?-192). Zi: Bo Ying. Born in Dun Huang Jiu Quan (belongs to Gan Su province today), he was a noble-minded person. He don't like to get any government position. His Cao Shu is exquisite beyond compare. People call him Cao god. He practiced calligraphy beside a lake. And the lake became black. His Zhang Cao actually studied from Du Du and Cui Yuan but has his own creation. He actually changed Zhang Cao to the Cao Shu of today.

Zhang Rong. Zi: Si Guang. Born in Su Zhou of Jiang Su province, he was good at all scripts, especially good at Cao Shu. 

Jin is the dynasty with great achievement in calligraphy. A lot of great calligraphers appeared at this time, including Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi.

After Tang dynasty, the calligraphy as an art declined. The worst period is Ming dynasty. From Song dynasty to Qing dynasty, the greatest calligraphy works in paper were kept in house of the emperor family. People rarely have the chance to see them. The only available calligraphy works available to them are the tablets. In Qing dynasty, a lot of tablets were discovered. That's one of the reason why calligraphy is better in Qin dynasty.

Cui Yuan (77-142). Zi: Zi Yu. Born in Zhuo Jun An Ping (belong to He Nan province today), studied hard earlier. He was good at Zhang Cao. He was Ji Bei Xiang (a government position). He wrote a book "Cao Shu Shi". His Cao Shu is not as ingenious in structures as his teacher Du Du, but is more charming than Du Du's. He is called Cui Du together with Du Du. 

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Last modified: Tuesday October 18, 2005.