Leng Chunhua Coordinate Grid Mnemonic Character Writing Method: Running Script

Author: Leng Chunhua, Leng Xiao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-10-01
Features: "Leng Chunhua Coordinate Grid Mnemonic Handwriting Method," a revolutionary milestone in the history of Chinese character writing, bringing the art of calligraphy into the digital era. This handwriting method is specifically designed for teaching purposes, characterized by its practicality, ease of learning, and user-friendly operation.
To use the Coordinate Grid (Patent No.: ZL200330112735.6), one must first understand what a Coordinate Grid is. This requires referring to Diagram 1 to identify the nine coordinate points within the square grid; then, Diagram 2 to memorize the names of the coordinate points; followed by Diagram 3 to grasp the eight directions (virtual secondary coordinates) of each point; finally, Diagram 4 to comprehend the usage of the grid.
By writing in the Coordinate Grid, learners can clearly identify the numerical positions and directional trends of each stroke, accurately mastering the three essential elements of a character (starting stroke, middle stroke, and ending stroke) to achieve precise stroke placement. At the same time, it highlights the aesthetic beauty of the character.
For thousands of years, traditional tools like the square grid, rice grid, and nine-grid have been widely used for learning calligraphy. While these tools have their merits, teachers often struggle to provide specific guidance, and learners may struggle to place their strokes accurately. The Coordinate Grid, however, enables digital expression in teaching, making it easier for teachers to instruct and for students to learn.
For example, the upper dot of the character "" (yǒng) starts from the upper-left of point A2 and ends on the right side of A2, with a slanted stroke. To enhance efficiency, help learners grasp patterns, and spark interest, the author has selected 519 model characters and grouped them into 173 sets of three using a classification method. Each set is summarized with a mnemonic rhyme that encapsulates its writing characteristics.
For instance:
- "，" (The character "" has a long lower horizontal stroke)
- "，" (The character "" has a slanted vertical stroke)
- "，" (The character "" has a flick, vertical, and curved stroke)
- "，" (The left-side wood radical should avoid long dots)
These rhymes are catchy and easy to remember, serving as a key to mastering the writing of identical strokes in different positions and the rules for writing radicals.
Additionally, each character in the book is accompanied by its pinyin and stroke order diagram. The author has also composed several other rhymes, such as:
- "，，" (Three "" characters: feet and shoulders aligned, writing forward while moving the notebook)
- "，，" (Characters form a straight line: write while looking left)
- "，，" (Rows form a page: equal spacing, aligning heads and tails with the top and bottom)
These rhymes provide an overview and summary of writing posture, character grouping, line arrangement, and overall layout, offering foundational support and assistance for learners in future writing applications. This is one of the key features of the book.