The Calligrapher — Yú Shìnán 虞世南

Tang court calligrapher revered for refined, restrained regular script.

Tang calligrapher (558–638), master of regular script — Tang master of quiet, inward regular script and teacher to the imperial academy. Tang dynasty

Cultural Story

膺 is the breast, the chest as the seat of feeling. Classical prose seethes with 义愤填膺, righteous indignation filling the breast to bursting. To 服膺 was to clasp a teaching to one's chest and never let go — the 中庸 speaks of treasuring the Doctrine of the Mean in the bosom. To 荣膺 an honor meant receiving it against one's very body, an honor worn inside the ribs.

Common words & phrases

• 荣膺 win honorably · receive with honor
• 膺选 be elected · be chosen
• 服膺 embrace in heart · keep in mind · adhere
• 义愤填膺 righteous indignation fills the breast · seething with anger
• 膺惩 punish · mete out punishment

Read the story behind the character

The principal announces that our teacher has 荣膺 — won honorably — the national teaching award, and the hall erupts. Reading about the rigged bidding, you feel 义愤填膺, righteous indignation filling your breast. Your grandfather tells you to 服膺 the family rule — embrace it in the heart and never forget — the way he once was 膺选, chosen, as village head.