Chinese Calligraphy is one of the "Four Arts," meaning it was a highly valued skill in ancient and, to some extent, modern Chinese culture. There is a saying in China that a person's handwriting is representative of who they are as a person. As such, scholars, in the past, worked hard to improve their writing as it contributes to their "first impression." Among all the calligraphers, Wang Xizhi (303-361 CE) is considered by many to be the most significant Chinese calligrapher of all time.
Wang was born into a prominent family during the Jin Dynasty. He started learning calligraphy at age seven from famous calligrapher Lady Wei. Taking inspiration from Zhang Zhi, the best cursive calligrapher of the time, Wang practiced relentlessly.
He trained so much that he turned clear ponds into black "ink ponds." During breaks, Wang often thought about the structures of the words and used his clothes as his canvas. Over time, his clothes ripped from all the stroking. His hard work paid off as every word he wrote was priceless even when Wang was alive.
As one of the “Four Great Calligraphers” (书中四贤), Wang Xizhi is capable in all scripts, but he is especially known for his skills in running (semi-cursive) script. His "Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion" remains a classic and is regarded as the best running script work ever written. One of the most outstanding features of this work is the twenty “之" that were all written with different styles and intensities depending on the context. Unfortunately, the original is lost (some say Emperor Taizong of Tang brought it with him to his grave), but a number of finely traced copies remain, allowing us to glimpse the glory of the work.
As the famous figure he is, there are many interesting stories about him. One legend has it that there was a Daoist who raises beautiful white geese. Wang, being an avid lover of geese, wanted to buy them from the monk. The Daoist agreed under one condition: Wang has to transcribe a copy of the Yellow Court Classic. Wang happily take up the offer and, thus, a masterpiece was born. His "Yellow Court Classic," which is widely accepted as the standard for 小楷 (regular script in small font), was made simply for a gaggle of geese.
