Following the Four Good Masters are music, chess, calligraphy and painting.
Qin refers to the guqin, chess refers specifically to Go, calligraphy refers to calligraphy, and painting refers to Chinese painting. It was an artistic hobby for elegant people in ancient times to cultivate their body and mind. How well you master the four skills of piano, chess, calligraphy and painting has become the standard for measuring a person's talent in ancient times. As a typical symbol of ancient culture and art, Cao Xueqin in "A Dream of Red Mansions" gave the names of "four spring" personal girls to "hold the qin, play chess, serve calligraphy, and paint", which also reflects the role of qin, chess, calligraphy and painting in the lives of ancient literati. status.
Cultural connotation
1. Qin: Literati and gentlemen use the piano to make friends and find close friends. They do not compete or seek, do not show off their skills, do not show off, stay away from fame and fortune, and cultivate themselves in a pure way. Entertainment. In ancient China, formal music was highly valued, with "quiet and plain" as the top priority, and no loud and lively music as the trend.
2. Chess: Playing chess requires quality. There are various situations in playing chess, which often reflect the character cultivation of the chess players. Play chess to make friends and increase your intelligence.
3. Calligraphy: Calligraphy is an extremely popular art form in ancient China that is both elegant and popular. Practicing calligraphy can regulate the mind, cultivate the mind, and lead to health and longevity. Ancient calligraphy theory generally paid attention to the relationship between moral character and calligraphy, that is, there is a saying that "a calligraphy is like a person".
4. Painting: Literary painting emphasizes comprehensive cultural accomplishment and advocates "reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles". Poems, calligraphy, paintings, and seals must complement each other, and the character, talent, knowledge, and ideas must complement each other. Not even one. Literati paintings pay attention to the charm and interest of the brushwork and ink, and the artistic conception is meaningful and thought-provoking.