Calligraphy in National Palace Museum, Song dynasty

Welcome to the National Palace Museum's collection of calligraphy from the Song dynasty! Here, you can explore some of the most exquisite and beautiful pieces of Chinese calligraphy from this period. You will find works by some of the most influential calligraphers of the time, such as Zhu Xi, Lu You, Cai Xiang, Su Shih, Huang T'ing-chien, Mi Fu and Ts'ai Hsiang. These works range from commentaries on the Book of Changes to Letters to Prefect Yuanbo (In a Pure Autumn) and Poems in Seven-character Verse. Come take a look at these amazing pieces of art today!

1. Commentary on the Book of Changes

This is a calligraphy work by Zhu Xi (1130-1200) that is the only extant example of large calligraphic characters written in Zhu Xi's hand. The calligraphy is written in a fast-moving brush and composed so that they appear to have top-heavy structures.

2. Letter to Prefect Yuanbo (In a Pure Autumn)

Lu You was a talented scholar who excelled at poetry and prose. His works were full of dramatic sentiment and reflected the trend at the time. He was the most important poet of the Southern Song period. In 1170, he wrote a letter to his friend Zeng Feng (style name Yuanbo).

3. Letter to the Commandery Administrator Huizhi (In the Depths of Autumn)

Zhu Xi was a famous thinker of the Southern Song period who pursued the ambition of establishing a new order for the country. He wrote this letter in the eighth lunar month of the Shaoxi fifth year (1194) after leaving his post as Administrator of Tanzhou (modern Changsha, Hunan) and on

4. Calligraphy of the Four Song Masters

The first section of this handscroll contains the "Haiyu" modelbook, a letter written by Cai Xiang in his thirties to his friend Han Qi. The letter is an excellent example of Northern Song calligraphy in the style of Yan Zhenqing (709-785).

5. The Cold Food Observance

Su Shih, also known as Tung-p'o, was a scholar-official from Szechwan. He was known for his bold personality and directness, and was accused of literary slander and banished from the capital.

6. Poem in Seven-character Verse

Huang T'ing-chien was a native of Fen-ning, Kiangsi. At the age of 23, he received his Presented Scholar (chin-shih) civil service degree. He served as Prefect of T'ai-ho in Shansi and Editor at court.

7. Poem

Emperor Hui-tsung was known for his passion for painting, calligraphy, poetry, and prose. His paintings and calligraphy are marked by exceptional refinement and observation to detail. His paintings of birds-and-flowers, in particular, are renowned for their realism and beauty.

8. On Szechwan Silk

Mi Fu was a famous poet, painter, and calligrapher from the Northern Sung period. He was known as one of the Four Sung Masters of calligraphy, along with Ts'ai Hsiang, Su Shih, and Huang T'ing-chien.

9. Letter to Officer-Gentleman Tu

This letter was written by Ts'ai Hsiang during a period of mourning for his eldest son. While he still maintained his poise and vigor in his calligraphy, a few strokes of the brush reveal the fluctuations of emotion and pain that he must have felt while writing.