The Calligrapher — Zhào Mèngfǔ 赵孟頫

Yuan master whose elegant regular and running script revived classical tradition.

Yuan calligrapher (1254–1322), master of regular script/running script/cursive script — Yuan reviver of classical elegance who could write any script beautifully and did. Yuan dynasty

Cultural Story

The form splits into two, the number 八, and the Book of Changes builds the 八卦 from eight trigrams drawn by Fu Xi — heaven, earth, thunder, wind, water, fire, mountain, lake. The Lu recorder noted 八月 as the eighth month of the lunar court calendar. Eight was the count of the directions, not merely a digit.

Common words & phrases

• 八月 August · eighth month
• 十八 eighteen · 18
• 八卦 Bagua · Eight Trigrams
• 八点 eight o'clock · 8:00
• 八方 all directions · everywhere

Read the story behind the character

A clock shows 八点 and the office lights blink on. The calendar marks 八月 for the summer holiday. A child counts to 十八 on a birthday. The 八卦 diagram hangs in a tai chi hall; 八方 means everywhere the delivery rider goes, from the north gate to the south.