Ouyang Xun Running Script Thousand Characters

Author: Zhen Shi Jianzhen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-27
Features: couplets, as a unique literary form in China, are said to have first appeared in the late Five Dynasties when Emperor Meng Chang of Later Shu wrote the lines "New year brings remaining blessings, auspicious times celebrate eternal spring" on peach (symbol boards) at his bedchamber doors on the New Year's Eve. They were first used on pillars during the Song Dynasty, hence the name. Couplets flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties, not only appearing on pillars in halls but also widely used on doors, 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 corresponding word counts, meanings, tones, and parts of speech to be considered well-composed. Common word counts include five-character, seven-character, and eight-character lines, while some are as short as three or four characters, and others as long as hundreds. The content often includes poetic verses or maxims, either collected from predecessors 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 are still 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 new social behavioral norms. A large number of new couplets addressing new themes and contents have emerged in line with the times, meeting the practical needs of modern cultural life. Therefore, compiling these practical couplets into a book and using computer technology to collect characters from famous calligraphy works of past generations not only helps learners practice writing but also facilitates actual creative work—a win-win solution. This is also the original purpose of compiling "New Concept Calligraphy" and the fundamental reason for its repeated reprints and popularity in the market. "New Practical Couplets" is the second-generation product of "New Concept Calligraphy." The first eight volumes were released within two months and are now being revised for re printing. The continuation consists of four volumes: "Ouyang Xun Running Script Thousand Characters," "Liu Gongquan Divine Strategy Stele," "Su Shi Dongting Spring Color Rhapsody," and "Wen Zhengming Running Script and Cursive Script Thousand Characters." In addition to selecting the finest characters from the original works, all missing characters are constructed using relevant strokes as elements, following the structural rules of the various calligraphy styles, striving to achieve the closest resemblance to complete works.