Song Tu Shi Qian Tie Zhong Liu --- Wang Xizhi

Author: Wang Haoming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Wang Xizhi was born into a family of calligraphers. His uncle Wang Yi, Wang Dao; his cousins Wang Tian, Wang Qia, etc., were all renowned calligraphers of the time. Wang Xizhi (321–379 or 303–361), styled Yishao, styled Danzhai, originally from Langya Linyi (now part of Shandong), later moved to Shanyin (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang). He held the positions of Right Military General and Jieshi of Kuaiji and was a great calligrapher of Eastern Jin, revered by later generations as the Sage of Calligraphy. At the age of seven, Wang Xizhi began studying calligraphy under the female calligrapher Wei Shuo. He practiced copying Wei’s works until he was twelve, though he was already quite skilled, he never fully satisfied himself. Often hearing his teacher tell stories of calligraphers’ diligent and hardworking practices, he developed admiration for the Eastern Han “Sage of Cursive Calligraphy” Zhang Zhi and resolved to inspire himself with Zhang’s story of practicing calligraphy by the pool. To improve his calligraphy, he traveled far and wide, climbing mountains and crossing rivers to inscribe and collect ancient steles, accumulating a vast amount of calligraphy materials. In his study, courtyard, by the main gate, and even outside the toilet, he placed stools with brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Whenever he thought of a well-structured character, he would immediately write it down. While practicing calligraphy, he would furrow his brows in deep thought, often neglecting sleep and food. He believed that raising geese not only refined his temperament but also allowed him to understand the principles of holding and moving the brush by observing their postures. One early morning, Wang Xizhi and his son Wang Xuanzhi took a small boat to enjoy the scenery of Shaoxing. As their boat approached the county of Langcun, they saw a group of white geese waddling and shuffling along the shore. Wang Xizhi was captivated by their beauty and longed to take them home. He asked the local Taoist priest if he could sell them to him. The priest replied, “If Right Military General Wang desires them, please write a Taoist classic for cultivating health and longevity, the ‘Huangting Jing’!” Eager to own the geese, Wang Xizhi readily agreed to the priest’s condition. This is the story of “Wang Xizhi Trading Calligraphy for Geese.” At the age of twenty, a Grand Preceptor named Chi Jian sent someone to Wang Dao’s home to select a son-in-law. During that time, people valued social status and sought matches based on family background. Wang Dao’s son and nephew, hearing that the Grand Preceptor’s family was coming to propose, disguised themselves to be chosen. Only Wang Xizhi, as if he hadn’t heard anything, lay on a bamboo couch to his east, eating buns with one hand and sketching with the other. When the messenger returned, he reported what he had seen to Grand Preceptor Chi. Upon learning that Wang Xizhi, still motionless on the couch, was the one he sought, he exclaimed, “This is exactly the son-in-law I desire!” Thus, Chi Jian married his daughter Chi Jun to Wang Xizhi. This story became the origin of the idioms “Dongchuang” (the couch) and “Lingtan” (the worthy son-in-law). There are still more idioms associated with him. It is said that once, he wrote characters on a wooden board and gave it to an engraver to follow. The engraver used a knife to carve the board and discovered that Wang Xizhi’s ink had sunk three-thirds into the wood. This is the origin of the idiom “Rumushi Sanfen” (three-thirds into the wood).