Chinese Calligraphy   

Calligraphy is an art dating back to the earliest day of  history, and widely practiced throughout China to this day. Although it uses Chinese words as its vehicle of  expression, one does not have to know Chinese to appreciate its beauty. Because in essence, Calligraphy is an abstract art. While viewing a Western abstract painting, one does not ask, "What is it?" When viewing Chinese calligraphy, one need not ask, What is the Chinese word?                       

"Over the thousands of years, the style of Chinese calligraphy has evolved continually. About 213  B.C., under the famous Chin Shih Huang Ti, who perpetrated the 'burning of the books', the Prime Minister Li Szu drew up an official index of characters and unified the written form for the use of  scholars. This is chuan-shu and contained more than 3,000 characters. From that time to the present, there are five major styles of calligraphy: More about the evolution of these styles (The Japanese calls these tensho, reisho, kaisho, gyosho, and sosho styles.) It is remarkable that after two thousand years, all five styles of writings are still in use today.