& lt The Preface to Lanting Collection is called "the best running script in the world". According to many books, it should be said by Mi Fei in the Song Dynasty (though I have never verified it). In fact, some people followed up. For example, the Manuscript for Sacrificing a Nephew in Yuan Dynasty was called "the second running script in the world", and Su Shi was called the third running script in the world, and so on. It can be seen that ancient literati were also stuffy and tight, hehe.
As for why it is called "the best running script in the world", first of all, from the calligraphy itself, the calligraphy style of Jin Dynasty gradually changed to pay more attention to brushwork and charm because of the influence of gentry's advocating Huang Lao and speaking freely. Judging from the characteristics of running script, it is more in line with the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Therefore, the Jin Dynasty calligraphy was the most prosperous period in the history of China calligraphy, and the running script was also the highest achievement in the history of China calligraphy. . . . What exists in the world is only copying, but the whole article is light and ethereal, without traces of carving. What is most praised by later generations is that the same words are written in different ways, such as "Zhi", "Yi" and "Wei". In particular, the word "zhi" has become more than 20 different strokes, which is really the highest realm of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy art, and his words are also a beautiful prose. After Wang Xizhi woke up, he wrote a lot more.
Secondly, from a historical point of view, Wang Xizhi's calligraphy has been highly praised by more and more people since the Southern Dynasties, and this article, as a rising tide lifts all boats, was the favorite word of Emperor Taizong and Li Shimin, and even the ministers in the DPRK at that time had to learn it, which made the book carry forward. Unfortunately, the original was later buried with him.
To sum up, the running script is a font between regular script and cursive script, and Wang Xizhi's original works are double-headed (the original works refer to the transitional regular script from Han and Wei Dynasties to Sui and Tang Dynasties, characterized by official script), and Emperor Taizong helped him publicize the calligraphers of later generations. It is not surprising that Wang Xizhi himself was rated as the first running script in the preface to Lanting Collection. His masterpiece is the first running script in the world.