Calligraphy, with distinctive script styles including the seal, clerical, regular, running and cursive, is a traditional art form that has been prized above all others by the Chinese literati for centuries. In "The Tao of Chinese Calligraphy", by introducing historical masterpieces, we hope to give you a glimpse of how the functionality of handwriting was elevated to aesthetics heights in a culture devoted to the power of words.
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00:00Discover calligraphy and the charm of it all.
00:23Hello everyone.
00:24I am pleased to welcome you to the Tao of Chinese Calligraphy.
00:28We have three distinguished guests to help us decipher the secret of calligraphy and
00:32appreciate the charm of this art.
00:35Welcome everyone.
00:39We also have 30 calligraphy enthusiasts here with us on the show.
00:44Let's have a round of applause to welcome everyone.
00:51We invite our contestants to write a message of greeting for our viewers on the show the
00:56Tao of Chinese Calligraphy.
01:27All the contestants have written their favorite character, Fu, meaning happiness and blessing
01:36in the seal official regular running and cursive scripts.
01:42This calligraphy work is the inscription on the sweet spring and it was written by Tang
01:48Dynasty calligrapher Ouyang Shen.
01:58Dating back 1400 years ago, the inscription on the sweet spring in the Zhoucheng Palace
02:03is one of the best known examples of a steely inscription in regular script.
02:08It is now sitting at the Zhoucheng Palace, a scenic area in Shanxi Province.
02:26The well-known story around it is that, after its completion, the palace suffered from a
02:31shortage of water.
02:33When he visited the palace, Emperor Taizong of Tang noticed a particularly damp patch
02:38of land.
02:40When he struck it with a cane, water gushed out from all directions.
02:45And so, the palace's water supply problem was solved.
02:50This made the emperor so happy that he decided to give it a name.
02:54He called the water source Sweet Spring.
02:59He also ordered one of his men, Wei Zheng, to write a peon commemorating the event and
03:05commissioned the calligrapher Ouyang Shen to inscribe it on a steely.
03:22Then water came out from all.
03:25Father!
03:26Oh?
03:27I heard that His Majesty ordered you to inscribe Lord Wei Zheng's peon about the Sweet Spring.
03:35Sweet Spring on a steely.
03:37Is it true?
03:41Everyone is talking about how His Majesty struck the ground with a cane and water came
03:47out of the ground.
03:48They're saying that it's definitely a good sign for the future prosperity of the great
03:54Tang Dynasty.
03:56Is that also true, Dad?
04:02Father!
04:03This is great news for us.
04:05Why do you look so worried, Father?
04:09Son, answer this.
04:14What script would generally be used for such an inscription?
04:19Regular script.
04:20It's always formal and dignified and most suitable for a solemn steely.
04:27So here is another question for you.
04:31There are many calligraphers who excel at a regular script.
04:36Why did His Majesty choose me?
04:42Because you are the best.
04:47My son, Lord Wei Zheng's peon is not just about a good sign.
04:54It's not just about the event of the discovery of a spring either.
04:59It is a prophecy of our country's coming prosperity.
05:04The words inscribed on the steely will still be read hundreds and thousands of years from
05:10now.
05:12The style of the inscription must reflect the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty.
05:21When writing regular script, the focus must be on the overall structure and potential
05:29vigor and achieving perfection of balance and form.
05:35You must remember that.
05:38It's even and orderly with no discord in width or length.
05:43Hurried writing leads to a loss of momentum.
05:48Too slow and the strokes will appear very clumsy.
05:56These are the principles for writing regular script that is solemn and rigorous.
06:04Then it will speak for the grandeur and prosperity of the golden age of the Tang Dynasty.
06:18The inscription on the sweet spring in the Zhoucheng Palace comprises about 1,200 characters.
06:24It is acclaimed as one of the world's finest examples of regular script.
06:31The characters of regular script are square and upright, with a balanced structure.
06:36It was the latest of the five major scripts of Chinese calligraphy to emerge.
06:41It's also the one that most resembles modern Chinese writing.
07:06Calligraphy enthusiasts from cities all over China often come here and write their own
07:10pieces as a tribute to Chinese calligraphy.
07:29What makes inscription on the sweet spring in the Zhoucheng Palace so remarkable, Professor
07:34Chu?
07:35The backstory is the discovery of a spring by the Emperor Taizong of Tang.
07:39No other but the Emperor himself, this was very significant.
07:42It was seen as an auspicious sign at the time when the new dynasty had been established.
07:47The Emperor gave it the poetic name Sweet Spring.
07:52This was the first recorded use of Li in this way, Li meaning sweet.
07:56Yes, it's a very auspicious character.
08:00Regular script was already well-developed by Ouyang Jun's time.
08:06Thousands of calligraphers before him had practiced regular script.
08:11This included brushwork preparation.
08:14This preparation was to create a solid foundation for it to mature in the Tang dynasty.
08:22Character structure, aesthetic taste, and the writing experience, perfection.
08:29But regular script still lacked something.
08:32We couldn't put a finger on it, supreme exquisiteness.
08:37As a piece of writing about the Emperor, inscription on the sweet spring needed to be dignified,
08:43solemn, and meticulously executed.
08:47You won't find such precision in structure and strokes in any later works of regular
08:53script.
08:54Let's take a closer look.
08:56Here are six versions of the character Gong, meaning palace, taken from the inscription
09:01on the sweet spring.
09:03If you examine the six characters carefully, you'll see that no two characters are the
09:10same in their details.
09:13This character has five horizontal strokes.
09:17The first is at the top and the others at the bottom.
09:23The second character is written quite differently from the first.
09:26The relationship between the five horizontal strokes has changed, for example, in the distance
09:30between the first and second horizontal strokes.
09:34What does this mean?
09:36It reflects a key principle of Chinese aesthetics, the pursuit of the subtlest variations within
09:43a uniform framework.
09:51This pian describes Emperor Taizong of the Tang as someone who not only conquered territory,
10:00but also embraced cultural virtue and cared for his people.
10:05In a very concise and clear way, this pian explains the emperor's main principles of
10:10rule from his early successful military campaigns to his final ascension to the throne.
10:19Describing the newly discovered sweet spring, the pian reads, this spring water freshens
10:24up the spirit and washes away the filth of the nation.
10:28It is very well and creatively written.
10:30All in all, it's an excellent piece of writing.
10:34If you stand before the inscribed stele, you really sense the historical importance of
10:38this great inscription and its uniquely excellent charm.
10:41Unfortunately, the inscription on the sweet spring in the Juchang Palace was badly damaged
10:46from excessive rubbing which can sometimes go unnoticed if not observed closely enough.
10:50It is one of history's great regrets.
10:53It's even more valuable because of that regret.
10:55Yes, it is a pity.
10:56This is why we try at all costs to preserve historic relics like this one.
11:00Yes.
11:01Professor Meng, we all know that you're an expert on Tang history.
11:06I wonder how you feel when you see this piece of calligraphy and know about this cultural
11:10relic.
11:11It's a legacy created by three important historical figures.
11:14The first is Emperor Taizong, a great ruler.
11:17The second is Wei Zhong, author of the pian.
11:21Emperor Taizong was a wise ruler and Wei Zhong was the most famous outspoken politician
11:25in Chinese history.
11:27So it was an era of righteousness led by a wise emperor and his honest right-hand man.
11:31The third is Ouyang Jun.
11:33As a cultural icon, he was an influencer of his day before we knew what influencers were.
11:38The characters on Tang dynasty coins were written by Ouyang Jun himself.
11:44Internationally, whenever representatives from Goryeo visited Chang'an, they didn't
11:49only discuss diplomatic affairs but also asked for pieces of Ouyang Jun's calligraphy.
11:54A long journey to get his work.
11:56Exactly.
11:57Ouyang Jun wrote the most delightful characters.
12:01His calligraphy was a beauty and power that transcends time and space.
12:04His work has been well-received worldwide.
12:07This inscription has over a thousand characters.
12:09Every one of them is remarkable and fascinating.
12:12Now we'll invite two lucky contestants to join us and take our quiz in this round.
12:24Let's start with this lady in the front row.
12:30My name is Zhen Jing.
12:32I teach calligraphy at an international school.
12:37Of these Chinese characters, which one was written by Master Ouyang Jun?
12:43You can start.
12:46I think it's the first one.
12:48The hook strokes in the inscription on the sweet spring are unique.
12:52The tails generally finish in the upper right.
12:56This is easy to recognize.
12:58Okay, is her first answer correct?
13:01Let's see the right answer.
13:05It's option one.
13:06You're right.
13:07Congratulations.
13:08Time for the next question.
13:12This is part of the Chinese character yu, meaning even, from the inscription on the
13:17sweet spring, but it's missing one stroke.
13:20Please identify the missing stroke from the following options to complete the character.
13:25You may begin.
13:27I'll go with option three, because the hook is very special.
13:31Okay, everyone.
13:34Is her second answer correct?
13:35Let's find out.
13:36The answer is option three.
13:39You got it right.
13:41Congratulations.
13:43Question three.
13:44These nine pictures show parts of nine characters.
13:48Please choose three of them to make the character de from the inscription on the sweet spring
13:53in the Juecheng Palace.
13:55You may begin.
13:59The first one is the first option, and then the eighth option, and the last one is the
14:14fifth.
14:16So your answer is options one, eight, and five.
14:21Let's find out what the correct answer is in this round.
14:24The correct answer is options one, eight, and five.
14:27Congratulations.
14:28Great.
14:29Oh, thank you.
14:33That question was quite difficult.
14:35On the stele, the inscribed words are white on a black background.
14:40Turning the white strokes to black on screen can throw anyone off and turn it into a distraction.
14:46So we need to rely on our understanding of the font structure and precise strokes.
14:52The contestant remembered an important feature of Ouyang Xun's calligraphy, back-to-back
14:58structure.
15:00This means that the left and right parts of a character lean towards each other, back-to-back,
15:09creating a tall and upright look.
15:13In this case, the vertical stroke should be slightly curved if it's too straight or
15:20bends to the left.
15:21The Chinese character will lose its upright look.
15:24She paid attention to this detail and grasped the feature well.
15:27Ms. Xun, as a calligraphy teacher at an international school, answered all three questions correctly.
15:33Let's give her a round of applause.
15:37What do the foreign children in your class think of Chinese calligraphy when they learn
15:40it?
15:41Most students still write the character Fu during a spring festival with their family
15:45and friends, even after returning to their home countries.
15:48By learning Chinese calligraphy, they become excellent cultural ambassadors who are introducing
15:54the world to China's very rich cultural heritage.
15:58Indeed, writing brushes also seem to be a link that successfully connects us to more
16:03and more friends in different countries.
16:07Up next, we'll invite this gentleman.
16:09Please tell us a bit about yourself.
16:11Hi, everyone.
16:12My name is Yin Min.
16:13I'm a civil servant.
16:15It's a great pleasure for me to be here on the show with all of you.
16:20Now we've got three similar questions for you in this round.
16:23Get ready.
16:26In the following pictures, which is the character Cheng as written by Ouyang Xun?
16:32In regular script.
16:34This question is fairly straightforward.
16:36The answer is the third one.
16:38It's from inscription on the Sweet Spring in the Zhejiang Palace.
16:42Is that the correct answer?
16:44Let's see.
16:45Yes, it is.
16:49Congratulations.
16:51Now the next question.
16:52This character Zheng, meaning of, is also taken from the inscription on Sweet Spring,
16:56but one stroke is missing.
16:58Please choose the missing stroke from the following options on screen to complete it.
17:03You may begin.
17:07I think it's option two.
17:09That is also correct.
17:10Congratulations.
17:11Now question three.
17:13These nine pictures show different parts of nine characters.
17:17Please pick three of them so that they can form the character Lin, meaning come in this
17:22inscription.
17:23You may start.
17:27The left part is option four.
17:30On the right, the upper part is option two.
17:33While the lower part is option six.
17:37Let's see the correct answer.
17:40Exactly.
17:42It's options four, two, and six.
17:49Congratulations.
17:58We'll invite all 30 contestants to copy this masterpiece of calligraphy.
18:28There are many tips for writing regular scripts, such as a dot should be like a falling rock
18:32and a horizontal stroke should resemble clouds stretching for a thousand miles.
18:36How should we apply them in practice?
18:38Write the horizontal stroke evenly and keep the distance between the two horizontal strokes
18:43consistent.
18:44You need to lay the foundation first.
18:46You must learn to walk before you can run.
18:49Exactly.
18:50The inscription on the Sweet Spring in the Jiu Cheng Palace is a model of regular script.
18:55It's standardized, consistent, and imitable.
19:01Perfect textbook material for calligraphy beginners to study and copy from.
19:14Our contestants have finished writing.
19:17Let's take a look.
19:43You've been watching The Tao of Chinese Calligraphy, a show dedicated to showcasing masterpieces
19:48from the history of Chinese calligraphy.
19:51Join us again next time.