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There are many ways to learn calligraphy, which can generally be divided into three types: the first is self-study, choosing a copybook that suits you, and then copying and gaining insights; the second is instruction from a teacher, following a calligraphy teacher, asking him to guide you, resolve your doubts, and avoid detours; the third is family tradition, by inheriting the "family method" and learning the authentic brushwork.

Among these three methods, "family inheritance" is undoubtedly the most appropriate. Many famous calligraphers in the history of calligraphy achieved their success through the personal guidance of their fathers and grandfathers, and by copying family-inherited calligraphy. For example, the "Langya Wang family", Ouyang Xun family, Mi Fu family, Zhao Mengfu family and Wen Zhengming family have all produced masters in almost every generation.

The reason for this is that "family tradition" guarantees the authority and purity of the brushwork. You should know that the ancients were very concerned about "leaking family traditions". Before his death, Wang Xizhi asked Wang Xianzhi to keep it "confidential" and "not pass it on for a fortune". Therefore, if we want to learn the orthodox "Wei and Jin brushwork", we have to start with the Wang family.

At the end of the Southern Dynasty, Zhiyong was "deeply aware of the great principles". He made Wang's family rules public and wrote hundreds of copies of "True and Cursive Thousand Characters" to various temples in eastern Zhejiang. This work also became a must-copy calligraphy for subsequent calligraphers. Yu Shinan, Ouyang Xun, Chu Suiliang, Yan Zhenqing, Mi Fu, Zhao Mengfu, and Dong Qichang were all enlightened by it.

This calligraphy was also officially designated as a must-learn for the "training" of copyists in the Tang Dynasty. Unfortunately, the original copy of "True Cursive Thousand Character Text" no longer exists. The last copy was burned and buried with the Ming Dynasty collector Wu Hongyu. However, in 1900, the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang were discovered. Among the tens of thousands of "posthumous manuscripts" collected there, people found the version closest to the original, namely Jiang Shanjin's copy.

Since Jiang Shanjin's work was copied based on the original, it has very realistically restored the style of the original and is praised as "the same as the original". It is also the version currently known to be closest to Zhiyong's original manuscript. From it we can understand the brushwork of Wang Xizhi's family and learn the authentic running script and regular script of the Wei and Jin dynasties.

This fragment is 25.1 cm long and 98 cm wide, with 36 lines and more than 370 characters, each with a character diameter of about 3 cm. From the sentence "侍巾圍房" to the last sentence "焉哉乎也", each character has been carefully crafted. Today, this work is kept in the National Library of Paris, France.

According to historical records, Zhiyong once studied the Lanting Preface in seclusion for 20 years, and accumulated dozens of baskets of broken brush tips. His brushwork was very similar to that of Xizhi. The cursive script of the True and Cursive Thousand Characters is graceful, with each stroke in the center, and the strokes are connected and unrestrained, with the characters pushed inward to create a vertical momentum. The regular script is restrained, full and round, with both strength and flesh, which is the precedent of Yu Kai and Zhu Kai.

This "True Cursive Thousand Character Classic" has delicate and accurate brushwork, and authentic and rigorous rules. It is an excellent model for us to learn the brushwork of the Wei and Jin dynasties. If you copy it thoroughly, your calligraphy will improve qualitatively.

Now, we have reproduced the original work of the Dunhuang fragment "Thousand Characters in True and Cursive Script" in ultra-high definition and 12 colors. Seeing this work is like seeing the original, which is very convenient for you to copy and appreciate. If you are interested, please click the link below to take a look!