About Calligraphy Zhuan Calligraphy or "Shu Fa" is the traditional Chinese artform of writing and the oldest Asian script used, dating back to around 2000-1500 BC. It has played a central role in Chinese culture and is still widely practiced throughout China to this day. Similar to painting, it is executed with brush and ink on paper. However, although it uses Chinese characters as the basis of expression, it is, in essence, an abstract art. Therefore, one does not need to know Chinese in order to appreciate its beauty. In fact, it is a most relaxing mental exercise, yet highly disciplined to stress one's physical and spiritual well-being. Li It is also interesting that calligraphy is often thought to be most revealing of one's personality. During the imperial era, calligraphy was used as an important criterion for selection of executives to the Imperial court. Unlike other visual art techniques, all calligraphy strokes are permanent and incorrigible, demanding careful planning and confident execution. Such are the skills required for an executive. While one has to conform to the defined structure of words, the expression can be extremely creative, because by controlling the concentration of ink, the thickness and absorptivity of the paper, and the flexibility of the brush, the artist is free to produce an infinite variety of styles and forms. Chinese scripts are generally divided into five categories: the seal character (zhuan), the official or clerical script (li), the regular script (kai), the running hand (xing) and the cursive hand (cao). Xing Kai Cao AsiaWind is the source of some of the information presented here. Used with permission.