Regular Script

Kaishu Calligraphy by Yan Zhenqing

Though Kaishu (regular script) developed to a certain level in the Jin Dynasty (265-420), calligraphic works of that period still bore traces of Lishu. The Longzang Temple Tablet and the Epitaph of the Tomb of Beautiful Lady Dong show that Kaishu had developed to a mature stage during the Sui Dynasty (581-618). But it did not achieve its zenith until the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Kaishu is regular with a tight structure and fluent strokes. Calligraphers in the history produced many masterpieces that have been handed down. Ouyang Xun, Liu Gongquan, Yan Zhenqin and Zhao Meng developed Kaishu to its peak with their unique styles, and they were called Four Masters of Kaishu .

Since Kaishu is easier to write and recognize than Lishu, it had taken the place of the latter and became a general font ever since the Wei and Jin dynasties. During the Song Dynasty, the development of typography helped create Songti - a special kind of calligraphy based on Kaishu. Nowadays, calligraphy schools such as Songti, Fangsongti, Heiti and so on, which are for typeset in computer and other printed materials, are all different applications of Kaishu .

Representative:  Ouyang Xun, Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan

  Cursive Hand

Caoshu (cursive hand) is characterized by sketchy, simplified forms of characters, often distorted or exaggerated to achieve an internal rhythmic appearance within the compositions of characters. In theory, any character can be written in the style of Caoshu , for instance many characters appeared in inscriptions on bronze wares. However, Caoshu in literature refers to a specific style developed from Qin Li (official script in the Qin Dynasty), formed around the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-8AD) and prevalent in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220).

Historical records show that Caoshu came into being in the pre-Qin period due to the fact that the fierce competition among various states made them often keep alert of any move of other states, which put a high demand on the communication

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