The Calligrapher — Yán Zhēnqīng 颜真卿

Tang master of robust regular script; co-creator of the enduring 'Yan style'.

Tang calligrapher (709–784), master of regular script/running script — the Tang moral paragon whose upright, muscular regular script became the model of Chinese integrity in writing. Tang dynasty

Cultural Story

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms sets Guan Yu's greatest feat at Xiangyang's neighbour Fancheng, where he flooded the enemy host, shui yan qi jun, the Xiang city was the strategic hinge of the Yangtze-middle war. The place name carries the character whose root means to assist the realm's order.

Common words & phrases

• 襄助 assist · help · aid
• 襄理 assistant manager · assistant
• 襄阳 Xiangyang (city)
• 襄办 assist in managing · help organize

Read the story behind the character

In the office a friend xiang zhu, assists, a colleague with the accounts, and a firm hires a xiang li, assistant manager, for the branch. The map shows Xiangyang, the city on the Han, and a committee xiang ban, helps organise, the charity run. The character is the helping hand, placed in an office or a hometown.