Chinese Calligraphy: Wordless Poetry

The history of Chinese calligraphy is as long as that of China itself. Calligraphy is a gem of Chinese traditionalculture and is also one of the highest forms of Chinese art. For its unique beauty, calligraphy is called wordless poetry, figureless dance, imageless picture, and soundless music. Western scholars have praised Chinese calligraphy by saying that it contains the beauty of an image in painting, the beauty of dynamism in dance, and the beauty of rhythm in music. Ancient Chinese literati paid great attention to calligraphy. Su Dongpo, one of the four literary giants in the Song Dynasty, was good at calligraphy. Even emperors themselves were good at calligraphy, for example, the versatile Emperor Qianlong has left us many examples of his handwriting in temples and palaces. Calligraphy is not only a means of communication, but also a means of expressing a person’s inner world in an aesthetic sense. Calligraphy, like a mirror, is a silent reflection of the soul. When writing, many calligraphers will forget all their worries and even themselves, combining all thoughts in the beauty of their art. Today, although various modern ways have replaced the original calligraphy, people still love and practise it untiringly. During the traditional festivals, couplets are always necessary decorations, each written in a beautiful style.