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 Odes measure fields in 块 of broken earth, and the Han farmer paid tax by the 方块 he tilled. A 石块 marked a boundary or a grave. The character is earth and a piece — the lump you can lift, count, and carry, the smallest unit of the owned ground.

Common words & phrases

• 一块 a piece · a lump
• 方块 square block
• 石块 stone block
• 块头 build · physique
• 糖块 sugar lump

Read the story behind the character

He ate 一块 of the birthday cake before the singing ended. The 方块 of tofu fries crisp in the street stall's oil. A 石块 marks the trail where the path forks. The man's 块头 fills the narrow doorway as he squeezes through. She sucks a 糖块 on the long walk home. The builder counts each 块 of the wall before the mortar finally sets.