Introduction to Jiang Heng

Jiang Heng (1672~1742) was famous for his proficiency in calligraphy. He copied since he was a child, especially in regular script. As an adult, he wandered around the country and copied more than 300 kinds of steles and calligraphy, and engraved them into "Zhuocuntang Lingu" "Twelve Classics" in 28 volumes. While visiting the Forest of Steles in Xi'an, I discovered that the Tang Dynasty's "Kaicheng Stone Classic" was written by many hands, and the books were miscellaneous and had not been checked. I made up my mind to rewrite the "Twelve Classics", which lasted 12 years, until the second year of Qianlong's reign. (1737) was completed. It was transferred to the imperial court by Gao Bin, governor of the Jiangnan River Channel, in the fifth year of Qianlong's reign and kept in Maoqin Hall. For this reason, Emperor Qianlong appointed Chiang as the Imperial Academy Supervisor. The following year, the edict was engraved on stone Taixue based on Jiang Heng's handwriting. It was carved in the fifty-ninth year (1794) and named "Qianlong Stone Classic". During his lifetime, he also wrote "Du Yi Private Notes", "Zhuocuntang Poems and Essays", "Yi Gua Private Notes", etc.