Ep. 96 | Wang Xizhi
In this episode, we look at Wang Xizhi, a man of letters who achieved greatness during the Eastern Jin dynasty and is called China’s greatest calligrapher. His life and achievements will be explored along with the significance of calligraphy in Chinese culture. We’ll also recall those crazy times in the fourth century AD.
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Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bi Zhen Tu | 笔阵图 | Lady Wei’s Illustrated Formation of the Writing Brush |
| Bi, mo, zhi, yan | 笔墨纸砚 | Brush, Ink, Paper, Ink Stone |
| Cai Lun | 蔡伦 | Inventor of paper making process |
| Cai Yong | 蔡邕 | Eastern Han calligrapher |
| Cao Wei | 曹魏 | Northern state during the Three Kingdoms period |
| Eastern Jin Dynasty | 东晋 | 317-420 |
| Emperor Min | 晋敏帝 | Last emperor of the Western Jin who lived a tragic and pitiful ending |
| Hakka (Kejia) | 客家人 | The Hakka People (Guest People) |
| Han Zhao | 汉赵 | State during the Northen Kingdoms |
| Jiaguwen | 甲骨文 | The earliest Chinese writing carved in bones and shells |
| Jiankang | 建康 | Present day Nanjing |
| Jin Dyansty | 金代 | Dynasty created by Jurchens in the north, ran alongside the Southern Song |
| Jin Yuandi | 晋元帝 | First emperor of Eastern Jin |
| Lantingji Xu | 兰亭集序 | The Preface to the Collection of Orchid Pavilion Poems |
| Li Shimin | 李世民 | Co-founder with his father Li Yuan, of the Tang Dynasty, went on to reign as the Taizong emperor |
| Li Si | 李斯 | Prime minister during time of Qin Shihuang, credited with standardizing the small seal script |
| Liu Yu | 刘裕 | Founder of the Liu Song dynasty |
| Luoyang | 洛阳 | Located in Henan, capital for several dynasties including Western Jin |
| Shaoxing | 绍兴 | Birthplace of Wang Xizhi (and many others in history), halfway between Ningbo and Hangzhou |
| Shu Sheng | 书圣 | The Sage of Calligraphy |
| Sima Rui | 司马瑞 | First emperor of Eastern Jin, Jin Yuandi |
| Sima Yan | 司马炎 | Founder of Jin Dynasty (Jin Wudi) |
| Sima Yi | 司马懿 | General and official of Cao Wei state. Grandfather of Sima Yan |
| Tang Taizong | 太宗帝 | The Taizong emperor and charter member of the Wang Xizhi Fan Club |
| The Four Treasures | 文房四宝 | The four essentials of any aristocrats desk |
| Wang Xianzhi | 王献之 | Son of Wang Xizhi, also a great calligrapher |
| Wang Xizhi | 王羲之 | China’s greatest and certainly most famous calligrapher |
| Wei Shuo | 衛鑠 | Madam Wei, Lady Wei, tutor to Wang Xizhi |
| Western Jin Dynasty | 西晋 | 265-318 |
| Xiongnu | 匈奴 | “Barbarian” northern nomadic people who fought on and off for millennia with the Han Chinese |
| Yongzi Bafa | 永字八法 | The Eight Principles of Yong |
| Zhejiang | 浙江 | Rich province in China where Ningbo, Hangzhou, Shaoxing are located |
| Zhong You (Zhong Yao) | 钟繇 | Greatest calligrapher up to the time of the 4th century |
