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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.
Zhi Yong is the seventh generation grandson of Wang Xizhi. His "Zhen Cao Qian Zi Wen" is said a piece from heaven.
Xiao Sihua. Born in Nan Lan Ling (northwest of Chang Zhou city in Jiang Su province today), he was good at Li Shu. Studied from Yang Xin, some people think he surpassed Yang Xin. His Xing Shu is like birds playing on sand.
Jin is the dynasty with great achievement in calligraphy. A lot of great calligraphers appeared at this time, including Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi.
Wang Sengqian (426-485) is the 4th generation grandson of Wang Xizhi. He was good at Kai Shu.
Today, most calligraphy works are stored in museums. A lot of calligraphy books devote to calligraphy appeared in the market. The Capital Teacher's University even has calligraphy department now. China now is much better than the Qing dynasty. Hopefully, there will be a lot of great calligraphers appear.
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.
Du Du. Zi: Bo Du. Born in Jing Zhao Du Ling (Southeast of Xi An, Shan Xi province), he was good at Zhang Cao (a kind of Cao Shu). Zhang Cao was created by Shi You in "Ji Jiu Zhang". But Zhang Cao was mature at Du Du. People of his time called his calligraphy "calligraphy from heaven".
Yang Xin (370-442). Zi: Jing Yuan. Born in TAi Shan city (southwest of Fei county of Shan Dong province today), he was Wang Xianzhi's student. 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.
Tao Hong Jing (456-536). Zi: Tong Ming.
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