The Calligrapher — Wáng Xīzhī 王羲之

The 'Sage of Calligraphy'; his running script has set the standard for 1,700 years.

Eastern Jin calligrapher (303–361), master of running script/cursive script/regular script — the Sage of Calligraphy; his Orchid Pavilion Preface is the most celebrated work in the tradition, and nearly every later master traces lineage to his hand. Eastern Jin dynasty

Cultural Story

朝 joins the sun, the moon, and grass — the moment at dawn when the old moon still hangs as the sun rises, and courtiers hurried to audience. Every 朝代, from Qin to Qing, opened each day with 朝, the gathering of officials before the throne at first light, the most disciplined hour of the realm.

Common words & phrases

• 朝廷 court · royal court
• 朝代 dynasty
• 朝阳 morning sun · rising sun
• 朝鲜 Korea · Choson
• 朝气 vigor · youthful spirit
• 朝霞 morning glow

Read the story behind the character

Say 朝阳 and a Beijing commuter pictures the rising-sun district where offices climb; 朝鲜 names the neighbor across the Yalu. A coach praises a team's 朝气, its morning-fresh energy. 朝霞 is the pink band a runner notices at six a.m. The character splits in two lives — court and dawn — both still spoken.