Su Shi's Spring Color of Dongting Lake Essay

Author: Zhen Shi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-27
Features:
Couplets, as a unique literary form in China, are said to have first appeared during the Five Dynasties period when Emperor Meng Chang of the Later Shu dynasty wrote the lines "New Year brings remaining blessings, auspicious festivals celebrate eternal spring" on peach (wooden boards) at his sleeping quarters during the New Year's Eve. They were later used on pillars during the Song Dynasty, hence the name.
Couplets flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties, not only appearing on the pillars of halls and courtyards but also widely used on the entrances of homes, study rooms, flower pavilions, living spaces, kitchens, and more, reflecting the owners' sentiments and elegance. Also known as duilian, couplets consist of two symmetrical upper and lower lines, requiring the word count, meaning, tonal patterns, and parts of speech to be balanced for perfection. Common word counts include five, seven, or eight characters, though some are as short as three or four, while others extend to hundreds. The content often features poetic verses or maxims, either compiled from the works of past masters or self-composed, with calligraphy styles ranging from regular script, cursive script, clerical script, to seal script, all equally suitable.
Over a thousand years of development have produced countless exquisite couplets, many of which remain in use today. Since the reform and opening-up, people's living and development environments have undergone tremendous changes. New concepts like the knowledge economy and revitalizing the nation through science and education, along with traditional virtues such as propriety, integrity, frugality, and honesty, loyalty, and trustworthiness, have together formed the new social behavioral norms. A large number of new couplets addressing contemporary issues and content have emerged in step with the times, meeting the practical cultural needs of modern life.
Therefore, compiling these practical couplets into a book and using computer technology to collect characters from famous calligraphy works across generations to form couplets is a win-win solution. It benefits both learners of calligraphy in mastering the basics and those seeking to engage in practical creation. This is also the original purpose behind the compilation of "New Concept Calligraphy" and the reason for its repeated reprints and widespread market popularity.
"New Practical Couplets" is the second-generation product of "New Concept Calligraphy." The first eight volumes were sold out within two months and are now undergoing revision and reprinting. The four additional volumes in the continuation series are: Ouyang Xun Running Script Thousand Characters, Liu Gongquan Divine Strategy Stele, Su Shi Dongting Spring Color Composition, and Wen Zhengming Running Cursive Thousand Characters. In addition to selecting the most essential characters from the original works, all missing characters are constructed using elements of relevant strokes, following the structural principles of the various calligraphy styles, striving for accuracy to complete the collection.