Author:子琼 | 2025-06-26 | Views:9

Running Script (行书/xíngshū), the semi-cursive style of Chinese calligraphy, strikes a perfect balance between structure and spontaneity. Emerging during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), it became the preferred script for personal expression, blending the discipline of Regular Script with the freedom of Cursive.
Artistic Features & Techniques
Dynamic Flow: Characters connect with subtle ligatures, creating a sense of movement—like "ink frozen in mid-dance."
Controlled Variation: Master calligraphers modulate brush pressure: heavier strokes for stability, lighter flicks for energy.
White Space Magic: Strategic gaps between strokes suggest wind passing through bamboo.
Legendary Works
Wang Xizhi’s Preface to the Orchid Pavilion (兰亭序, 353 CE): Written during a wine-fueled gathering, its 324 characters vary from orderly to wildly expressive, mirroring the party’s mood swings.
Yan Zhenqing’s Draft for a Eulogy (祭侄文稿): Grief-stricken brushwork with smudges and corrections, showing raw emotion rare in classical art.
Su Shi’s Cold Food Festival Poem (寒食帖): Ink tones shift dramatically, reflecting the poet’s political exile.
Cultural Insight: Running Script’s duality—structured yet free—mirrors contemporary life’s balance between tradition and innovation.