About Chinese Calligraphy

 

What's the difference between Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese?
Traditional Chinese characters have thousand years' s history. In 1956, the Chinese goverment changed over 2800 traditonal Chinese characters into simplified characters, these simplified characters have less strokes than traditonal characters, so they are easier to remember and write. Now, Simplified Chinese characters are used in Chinese mainland and Singapore, and the Traditional Chinese charaters are used in Taiwan, the United States, the United Kingdom and other places arounld the world. Generally, the calligraphiers use traditonal Chinese characters to create their works, and the Chinese symbol cliparts and designs at our website are also using traditonal Chinese characters. So if you want simplified Chinese symbols and designs, please contact us via service@chinavoc.com .

Chinese Calligraphy Styles provided at our website.

(1) Formal/Regular Style (Kaishu)

Kaishu came into use in China at the end of the Han Dynasty. It is still used in China today after more than 1700 years. It is the main Chinese writing style, called kaishu, or regular script. It is also called zhengshu or zhenshu.

Kaishu was initiated by Wang Cizhong toward the end of the Han Dynasty, according to legend. In the Wei-Jin period Zhong You (151-230) and Wang Xizhi(303-363) initiated a new way of writing that allowed kaishu and lishu to separate and form two systems. Chinese script unused today in China to serve the needs of society are kaishu (regular script) and xingshu (running script), but in the art are zhen, cao, official script and seal character script compete with each other. They give a resplendent view of the beauty of calligraphy and the depth and breadth of this Oriental art, formed through several thousand years of ancient culture.

(2) Official/Clerical Style (Lishu)

This form of Chinese script germinated in pre-Qin times. By the Qin Dynasty it came to be used by low-ranking officials in the Chinese government. It simplified the more complicated strokes of seal character script and used a bend instead of making a roundabout turn. Lishu is attributed to Cheng Miao, who lived in the state of Qin. The script was used by clerks working in prisons, hence the Chinese term lishu (servitude script). By the Han Dynasty it was promoted as a writing style. In over four hundred years of propagation lishu created many schools of writing. Lishu was underwent a development of over four hundred years through the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern dynasties. By the latter part of the Southern and Northern Dynasties the script rid itself of any remaining influence of lishu, attaining complete maturity.

(3) Running Regular Style (Xingkai)

This is the running style of Kaishu (formal/regular style), one kind of running style, beautiful and elegant.

(4) Wei Dynasty Stele (Weibei)

This is the model calligraphy represented by the table inscriptions of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-581) in China. It's a kind of Formal/Regular Style.

(5) Running Semi-cursive Style (Zhongxingshu)

This style is midway between running and cursive script (/hand), it's a kind of Running style.

(6) Small Seal Style (Xiaozhuan)

(7) Cursive Style by Master Huang

This is a standard cursive style by Chinese Calligraphy Master - Huang Zhang Ren.