Wang Xizhi, the mountain made of broken brushes used in calligraphy practice is called Bishan. When Wang Xizhi was young, he practiced calligraphy very hard. It is said that the broken brushes he used to practice calligraphy were piled together to form a hill. People called it "Brush Mountain".
There was a small pool next to his house. He often washed his brushes and inkstones in this pool. Later, the water in the small pool turned black, so people called this small pool "ink pool".
When Wang Xizhi grew up, his handwriting was quite good, but he still insisted on practicing calligraphy every day. One day, he was so focused on practicing calligraphy in his study that he even forgot to eat.
Faced with this situation, Wang Xizhi’s wife felt very sorry for her husband, so she asked her maid to bring Wang Xizhi’s favorite mashed garlic and steamed buns, and urged him to eat them, but Wang Xizhi didn’t seem to hear her. Still immersed in writing.
The maid had no choice but to tell the lady. When the wife and the maid came to the study, they saw Wang Xizhi holding a steamed bun stained with ink and putting it into his mouth, making his mouth black. They couldn't help laughing. It turned out that Wang Xizhi was practicing calligraphy while eating. While his eyes were still looking at the calligraphy, he mistakenly dipped the ink into minced garlic.
The lady said to Wang Xizhi distressedly: "You have to take care of yourself! Your handwriting is very good, why do you have to practice so hard?"
Wang Xizhi raised his head, He replied: "Although my handwriting is good, I just learned from the writing methods of my predecessors. If I want to have my own writing method and be self-contained, I have to work hard."
After After a period of hard exploration, Wang Xizhi finally wrote a beautiful and fluent new font. Everyone praised his calligraphy as easy as colorful clouds and as powerful as flying dragons. He was also recognized as one of the outstanding calligraphers in the history of our country.
Extended information
Wang Xizhi's "Preface to the Lanting Collection" is admired by calligraphers of all ages and is known as "the best running script in the world". Wang was also good at Li, Cao, Kai, Xing and other styles. He studied the styles carefully, imitated them with his heart and hands, picked up the strengths of others, prepared all kinds of styles, and cultivated them in one furnace. He broke away from the writing style of Han and Wei Dynasties and became his own style with far-reaching influence. His calligraphy is gentle and natural, his writing style is euphemistic and subtle, and he is beautiful and graceful.
It is said that Wang Xizhi practiced calligraphy so hard when he was a child that the pond water used to clean his brushes turned into ink color over time. There are idioms about him such as penetrating wood three points, east bed quick son-in-law, etc. The most obvious feature of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy style is his delicate brushwork and changeable structure.
Wang Xizhi’s calligraphy has influenced generations of calligraphers. Ouyang Xun, Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang, Xue Ji, Heyan Zhenqing, and Liu Gongquan in the Tang Dynasty, Yang Ningshi in the Five Dynasties, Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu, and Cai Xiang in the Song Dynasty, Zhao Mengfu in the Yuan Dynasty, and Dong Qichang in the Ming Dynasty. , so he enjoys the reputation of "Sage of Calligraphy".