55 Wang Xizhi

A Calligraphy Saint in History

Wang Xizhi (303-361) was the Mount Everest of Calligrapher in Chinese history. His son Wang Xianzhi was also a top calligrapher, and therefore the father and son won a combined name as “Two Wangs”. The signature work of Wang Xizhi’s calligraphy was Lan Ting Ji Xu (literally Preface of Orchid Pavilion Collection), a prose essay that recorded a carnival held with the presence of 41 distinguished guests including Xie An, the premier of the government, in Lan Ting (Orchid Pavilion) a retreat site in scenic Shaoxing City suburbs Zhejiang Province. All the highly-esteemed men of letters played a game called “winding stream and flowing wine-cup”. According to the essay, men lined up along two sides of the water, and when a flowing cup stopped at the front of a man, who should be punished to bottom up the cup of wine, as well as compose a poem on the spot. There were up-to-date four versions of calligraphy works of Lan Ting Ji Xu, but all of them were forged ones imitated by four different top calligraphers in early Tang Dynasty It was said, the Emperor Taizong (piece 59) was so treasured Wang’s Lan Ting Ji Xu that he ordered four calligraphers to copy it down, and the original one he eventually brought into his tomb.

Lan Ting (Orchid Pavilion) in Shaoxing County had now become a famous historical ruin and scenic traveling resort, as well as a holy land for calligraphy lovers both home and abroad. They come here to pay homage to Wang Xizhi or attend calligraphic seminars or other activities.