Lu Jianzhi's "Wen Fu: New Practical Couplets"

Author: Zhen Shi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
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 Later Shu wrote the line "New Year brings remaining blessings, joyous 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. Couplests 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 couplets, they consist of two symmetrical upper and lower lines that must match in word count, meaning, tonal patterns, and parts of speech to be considered well-composed. Common word counts include five, seven, and eight characters, though there are also very short couplets with three or four characters and longer ones with over a hundred. The content often includes poetic verses or maxims, either compiled from the works of past masters or self-composed, and the calligraphy styles—regular script, cursive script, clerical script, and seal script—are 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, as well as loyalty, filial piety, and trustworthiness, together form 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 of past generations not only benefits learners in practicing calligraphy but also facilitates actual creative endeavors—truly a win-win solution. This is also the original intention behind compiling the "New Concept Calligraphy Series" and the fundamental reason for its repeated reprints and widespread market popularity.
The characters in this book are selected from the masterpiece "Wen Fu" (On Literature) by the Tang Dynasty calligrapher Lu Jianzhi. Lu Jianzhi, a native of Suzhou, Jiangsu, was the nephew of Yu Shennan and served as a scholar of calligraphy at the Chongwen Academy during the Tang Dynasty. He was renowned alongside Ouyang Xun and Chu Suiliang. Later generations praised his calligraphy for its ancient and aged charm, like a towering pine leaning against a ravine or a wild crane soaring through the sky—making it highly fitting for reviewing "Wen Fu."
During the compilation of this book, all characters from the original work were carefully selected, and any missing characters were reconstructed using elements of their strokes, following the structural principles of the existing calligraphy works to ensure they closely resemble the originals, creating a complete and harmonious collection.