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There is a scenic spot in Baoding City, Hebei Province, called the Ancient Lotus Pond, which is adjacent to the Zhili Governor's Office and is now a national scenic spot. This park has beautiful scenery and a strong cultural atmosphere. It was built in the 22nd year of Yuan Taizu (1227), and has a history of 800 years. During this period, countless literati and scholars visited or stayed here temporarily, leaving behind many famous poems and essays.

In the late Qing Dynasty, in order to please Empress Dowager Cixi, local officials in Zhili built pavilions and collected famous paintings and calligraphy as decorations in the park. This made Empress Dowager Cixi very happy and she used this place as a temporary palace. After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the ancient lotus pond was reopened to the public, and people found a long-lost calligraphy by Zhao Mengfu in the park, which is "Song of Shu Mountain".

Zhao Mengfu has many works handed down, and "Song of Shu Mountain" is his "masterpiece" in his later years. It has rarely been seen in documents, and the original manuscript has been lost. This stele version fills this gap. This work was written when Zhao was 60 years old. He had reached the state of "both the person and the book are old", and his brushwork has also washed away the restrained and gentle air.

According to records, "Song of Shu Mountain" was originally kept by Na Yancheng. When appraiser Zhang Boying was sorting and identifying Na's collection, he said: "Most of Na's collections are forgeries, only this "Song of Shu Mountain" by Zhao Mengfu is authentic and excellent." This post is 29 cm long and 273 cm wide, with a total of 40 lines and 361 characters. The character diameter is about 3 cm. There are also postscripts by Chen Jiru, Li Liufang and Yi Xi at the end of the scroll, all of which prove the authenticity of this work.

Zhao Mengfu had never been to Xichuan in his life. When he saw a scroll depicting the magnificent mountains and rivers of Shu, he was deeply moved and wrote this poem in praise of it. Chen Jiru commented: "This scroll by Songxue Weng is full of vigor and vitality. The style of the stele is straight from Da Ling, and Mengzhu Zong showed me the inscription in the mountains and returned home." The whole poem is full of vigor and vitality, and it is comparable to the two Wangs.

Many people criticize Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy as "familiar and vulgar" and "soft and vulgar", or think that he is too rigid in ancient ways and fails to make breakthroughs. This work "Song of Shu Mountain" can refute these comments. This work is based on the brushwork of "Preface to the Sacred Teaching" and "Preface to the Orchid Pavilion", and integrates the styles of Li Yong and Mi Fu. It is written in a gorgeous and smooth style without being soft and charming, and is known for its vigor and maturity.

First, take momentum in the air and then put the tip of the pen against the paper. After putting pen to paper, press, accumulate strength, and adjust the tip. The movements are clear and distinct. For example, the "silkworm head" at the beginning of the characters "水" and "初" is used. When writing, the center and side edges of the pen are used together. There are clear pauses at the turning points, and circular and square turns are used together, which are connected through the strokes and echo each other in an orderly manner.

The strokes of "Shushan Tuge" are vigorous and strong, with abundant strength and no sense of emptiness, which is different from the beautiful and light works of Zhao's early years. The characters are tilted and varied, the structure is staggered, the characters are of different sizes, and the composition is well-organized, showing a natural beauty. Although 700 years have passed, no one has surpassed it so far.

Li Liufang believes that "Zhao Mengfu's running script is mostly derived from Lanting and occasionally mixed with Shengjiao. Those who later learned Shengjiao often resemble Mengfu, but although it has some grace, its rigor and strength are difficult to match." "Song of the Shu Mountains" is an excellent copybook for us to improve our penmanship and appreciate the brushwork of the Wei and Jin dynasties. It is worth practicing as a "daily lesson".

Now, we have reproduced this work in ultra-high-definition 12 colors and mounted it by hand, making it very convenient for you to copy and appreciate. If you are interested, please click the link below to take a look!