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

In 红楼梦, the maids 跟, follow, their mistresses from court to garden, the 跟着 of devoted service rendered in silk and shadow. 跟随 and 跟踪 both grow from that trailing step. The character is late to classical prose, yet the novels fixed it as the word for moving at another's heel. The trailing step of service became the common word for moving at a heel.

Common words & phrases

• 跟着 follow
• 跟随 follow · accompany
• 脚跟 heel
• 跟踪 track · tail
• 跟前 in front of

Read the story behind the character

At a mall, a child 跟着, follows, a parent while a detective 跟踪, tails, a suspect and a runner feels a blister at the 脚跟, heel. A dog 跟随, accompanies, its owner and a clerk stands 跟前, in front, of the counter. The maids of the novel now trail a toddler and a shadow. The shadow and the tail are the maid's old duty borrowed by a detective.