Looking at Zhou Enlai's calligraphy, from the development process, he experienced the exploration period of students' calligraphy, the formation period of middle-aged calligraphy style and the acme period of calligraphy in his later years. From various periods, Zhou Enlai's calligraphy art has the following characteristics: as a student (youth), he was vigorous and handsome, showing off his talents; The formative period (middle age) is hidden and unobtrusive, simple and dignified; In his late years, he was relaxed, magnificent and exhausted.
From the late 1930s to the early 1950s, Zhou Enlai's calligraphy was mainly running script and cursive script, with occasional regular script and cursive script. His regular script is mostly rectangular, which is consistent with the running script. It is rigorous in structure, vigorous in brushwork, dynamic in quietness and static in motion, and has a fresh and hearty artistic effect. His cursive script is like running water, stretching or shrinking, and the thickness of his pen is wet and dry, which changes naturally. Since the 1950s, his calligraphy style has become more sophisticated, vigorous, incisive, organized and eclectic, just as the ancients said, "people and books are old" and "superb".