Calligraphy is regareded in china as the art of writing,beautiful handwriting with brush, or study of the rule and techniques of this art.
As a traditional art, calligraphy occupies the same position as painting in the history of Chinese art.
In China, many people can write a good hand but only a few of them could become calligrapher. It takes paintaking effort and years of assidicous practice to qualify oneself as an artist in this field. One of the great masters in calligraphy in chinese history is WangXiZhi, he has exerted profound influence on Chinese calligraphers and scholars.
Today we will visit his Former Residence WangXi Zhi is an outstanding calligrapher, he was versed in nearly all kinds of styles of calligraphy. His work the preface of LanTing Poems Collection written in running hand is esteemed as the best running hand work in the world. His wonderful calligraphy has long shocked and is admired by calligraphers of all ages.
Lets go inside the main gate. This pool is the inkstone rinsing pool, covering an area of 3000 square meters, why we call it inkstone rinsing
Pool?There is a story of WangXiZhi, it says that when he was a child he blackened all the water of a pond in front of his house by washing his writing implements every day after practice.
The characters are 洗硯池 .About 10 meters north of the pool is a flatled towering 2 meters above the ground and covering an area of 150 square meters.called Drying Terrace, for drying their writtings in the sun.The west part is the 100 meter long calligraphy corrider, displaying handwritings of famous calligraphers in China.If you are interested in calligraphy, you can have a look and pratice by yourself.