New Zhiyong Regular Script Radicals 100 Methods

Author: Ji Lin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: Zhi Yong, whose birth and death years are unknown, was originally surnamed Wang and named Fa Ji. He served in the dynasties of Liang, Chen, and Sui, lived to be over a hundred years old, and was the seventh-generation descendant of Wang Xizhi, the great calligrapher of the Jin Dynasty, belonging to the Wang Huiyi clan. In his early years, he became a monk and later traveled to Yongxin Temple in Wuxing County, Zhejiang Province, where he stayed for thirty years, earning the nickname "Eternal Zen Master." In the temple, Zhi Yong lived a secluded life, diligently copying Wang Xizhi's calligraphy every day without interruption. He kept several large bamboo baskets in his room, each holding over one stone in capacity, and would discard the worn-out brush tips into the baskets. Over time, the baskets filled with broken brush tips, so Zhi Yong built a mound in front of his house to bury them, known as the "Brush Tip Mound." Many people sought his calligraphy, often breaking down the doorframe, so Zhi Yong covered the doorframe with iron sheets, calling it the "Iron Doorframe." This shows the extreme dedication Zhi Yong had to calligraphy, as well as his renowned reputation. He was a famous calligrapher in Chinese history who inherited the style of the "Two Wangs" while also developing his own unique style.
Zhi Yong's famous masterpiece, the Thousand Characters in Regular and Cursive Script, was created in his later years over several decades, based on the Thousand Characters text, with both regular and cursive scripts. He wrote over a thousand copies, from which he selected eight hundred of his most satisfied works to distribute to various temples in eastern Zhejiang, earning the title of "The Ultimate Calligraphy of the World." The script features both regular and cursive styles, each distinct and masterfully executed. The brushwork is fluent and elegant, retaining an ancient essence while being powerful and vigorous. The structure is dignified, and the strokes' starting, ending, lifting, and pressing are clearly visible, rich in variations of light and shadow. Through its form and spirit, it conveys the essence of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy.