Significance and History of Chinese Calligraphy

Usually, you may not be too particular about the way you write your name or any other personal detail. However, in certain parts in Asia, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, people consider it as an important part of their culture and way of life. In fact, locals regard this as a form of art and as a basis for other works, such as painting and sword fighting style.

What makes this form of Chinese text unique are the characters, as well as how they are put on paper. The primary principle in coming up with this script is the yin and yang, because the people of China believe that everything should have balance. Each letter is written in a certain way in order to enhance its meaning. Materials used for calligraphy include the brush, paper, and the ink. To date, there are eight basic strokes, namely: the dot, the dash, downward perpendicular, sudden descent of the left, wavelike, hook, upstroke to the right and bend or twist.

This method of expression has also played a major part in history and is considered to be over four thousand years old. Legends say that a man named Cang Jie started this form of text during the reign of the Yellow Emperor. Individuals from that ancient civilisation started using this writing method after they were able to come up with a formal language in order to be able to jot down messages and have them delivered. Most of the letters are based on elements of their surroundings. For instance, the written word for protection was based on The Great Wall, which was erected to keep invaders out. This was particularly important since the people were cautious of the threat of invasion and needed to communicate with superior officers at all times. Eventually, citizens learned to use these Chinese characters in poems and stories to convey their emotions. The great philosopher Confucius was also a practitioner of this ancient form of script, and effectively utilised it so that his teachings could reach the masses.

Today, the western world is starting to appreciate this art form little by little, and some foreigners are even expressing interest in learning it. If you are one of these people, you can find many institutions in Hong Kong that teach this principle.