Introduction to Chinese Calligraphy 中國書法簡介

This Website is dedicated to Chinese Brush Arts: calligraphy, painting, and seal carving. Most of the artworks here will be presented "chronologically" according to the time periods in different dynasties of ancient China and also "by the artist" per their artistic development through their lifetime. I hope the "dual presentations" may hint the readers to form a better and systematic overview and understanding of the entire evolution of Chinese characters in association with calligraphic styles throughout different dynasties of China and their influences on brush painting, seal carving, society, other arts, and etc.

Since there are many, many external links to other resources on this website, most of the "underlined links" in green color will require the readers to copy them to their Internet browsers. Only those external links that are significantly important will be directly linked.

The underlined terms in orange color are subjects that will be expanded in more details in the future in the "second-level" Webpages. Some of the topics are written in both explicit and implict statements as the implict hint is a traditional Chinese way to think philosophically, humbly, and objectively to learn many things and to prevent one from being taught the only one way. There are some Webpages that may contain paradoxes or seemingly contradictory statements since there are many styles, approaches, and levels of Chinese arts and there is no absolutely absolute. Explanations on exceptions may be provided in the "second-level" Webpages (most of them are under construction and require time for research and compilation) which expand the contents and levels of knowledge and techniques mentioned in the "first-level" Webpages.

In Chinese names, the family names precedes the given names. When they are translated into English, the given names usually has a hyphen between the two translated Chinese characters. The Pinyin system omits the hyphens while the Wade-Giles system keeps them.

People who have not studied Chinese, or who have studied Chinese but not the Pinyin system, are likely to severely mispronounce many words if they attempt to pronounce Pinyin according to their own language spellings. (By far the most standardized pronunciation close to Mandarin Chinese is the phonetics used in Taiwan. Beginners using either Pinyin or Wade-Giles will most likely need pronunciation and accent correction in order not to confuse the native Chinese.) For this reason, the English spellings used in this website for Chinese characters are adopted from either Pinyin or Wade-Giles, whichever has the closer pronunciation to current Mandarin Chinese. Even in Encyclopedia Britannica or many other authoritative resources, inconsistencies or mixture of Pinyin and Wade-Giles still exist.

Learning and sharing make life more beautiful. The contents of this Website will be corrected, updated and added frequently. It is my dearest wish that the original and true techniques and knowledge regarding Chinese Brush Arts may be preserved and shared among different cultures and diversities and through the sharing more people can benefit from the beauty of those arts and the related philosophy. (The contents are also part of my personal study notes and class supplements to my students.) Each topic such as the artist, methodology, brush treatment for each style, and etc. will be eventually added and expanded in more depth like the following "second-level" WebPages with English translation added eventually.

Chinese calligraphy, painting, and seals have expanded more than 4,000 years in history with the vast Chinese population in each dynasty forming and creating innumerous styles. Even for an educated Chinese person, they are not meant to be simple arts that can be understood, appreciated, or mastered in a short period of time. To list all the kinds of knowledge and skills to appreciate or practice Chinese Brush Arts would surely discourage any neophyte enthusiast from addressing the subjects demanded in knowing these three forms of arts. Considering the vast population throughout the history of China using the brushes and ink as the major mediums of writing and communication before 1900 or so, a website like www.sf108.com as broad as the Encyclopedia Britannica has contained innumerous topics about Chinese calligraphy in historical, linguistic, and artistic perspectives and needs periodic backup and updates.

When Yang Lu-Chan ( 楊露禪 ) learned Chen Style Taichichuan from the Chen Village in Henan, he went to Beijing and defeated all challenges from masters of other Kung Fu styles throughout China and became known as "Yang the Invincible." Later he was hired by the Imperial Family of the Ching Dynasty to teach Taichichuan to them and several of their elite Manchu Imperial Guards Brigade units in Beijing's Forbidden City. At that time, the majority Han people of China were ruled by the Manchu people who founded the Ching Dynasty. In order to keep the secrets of this internal martial arts from the Manchurians, he taught several water-down versions of Taichichuan. Many people in the past and today misunderstand that throughout his lifetime Yang trained and fought with the Yang Style he created. But indeed he personally trained Chen Style Taichichuan he learned from his master. To this day, many people still doubt whether those soft movements can ever be applied in real combats.

Likewise, many pictures of Chinese calligraphy in low resolutions or smaller sizes are common in public medias or even books with in-depth discussions in English. Would a non-Chinese believe and feel the beauty of Chinese calligraphy if they have never witnessed the original masterpieces or seen better quality pictures? Would they ever doubt whether the Chinese calligraphy and painting masterpieces are worthy of our discussions and appreciation if the pictures are not in better resolutions? Art is all about perception and a viewer can usually tell the different levels of strength, delicacy, nuances, and intensity within the artwork regardless of one's cultural background. One's artistic "eyesight" is as important as one's artistic insight in learning many profound and philosophical arts of China, especially during the early stage of learning which in turn may form one's learning path and direction afterwards.

Currently as of February 27, 2010, this website is still under ongoing improvements and construction in updating and expanding the topics and depths regarding the Art of Chinese Calligraphy which is the foundation and cornerstone of Chinese brush painting and seal carving. (Throughout the history of China, no one has ever been good at brush painting or seal carving at a "historial and national level" without first learning calligraphy.) When the Chinese version WebPages are constructed and cross-linked to the English version for more in-depth study, more WebPages and videos for brush painting and seals will also be added eventually.

Many aspects of this Website are written with concise statements and hints instead of lengthy or purely direct statements. An average prudent person should be able to associate different points from several Webpages if s/he has been practicing and analyzing for a while. When I learned calligraphy from my teachers, friends, books, and other sources, I realized everyone's artistic journey is different and none of my teachers taught me in the same way as they did to other students. I elevated my skill level and cultivated my knowledge by continually observing, reading, practicing, and analyzing different resources.

In learning many traditional Chinese arts, Chinese believe that some direct and step-by-step guidances might deter one's observationl and analytical abilities in certain situations. This is why many Chinese masters of philosophy, martial arts, and various arts all emphasize the importances of "comprehension" and "sudden enlightenment."

One's recognition, gain, or trivial contribution to humanity are not really so worthy to be mentioned as compared to the long spiritual, cultural, and artistic journeys of all predecessors.

About This Website & The Author's Words