Editing Regular script (section)

== History ==
The ''Xuanhe Calligraphy Manual'' ({{zhi|t=宣和書譜}}) credits {{ill|Wang Cizhong|zh|王次仲}} with creating the regular script, based on the [[clerical script]] of the early [[Han dynasty]] (202&nbsp;BCE{{snd}}220&nbsp;CE). It became popular during the [[Eastern Han]] and Three Kingdoms periods,{{sfn|Qiu|2000|p=143}} with [[Zhong Yao]] ({{circa|151}}{{snd}}230&nbsp;BC),{{sfn|Qiu|2000|p=142}} a calligrapher in the state of [[Cao Wei]] (220–266), being credited as its first master, known as the father of regular script. His famous works include the {{zhp|c=宣示表|p=Xuanshi biao}}, {{zhp|c=薦季直表|p=Jianjizhi biao}}, and {{zhp|t=力命表|p=Liming biao}}. Palaeographer [[Qiu Xigui]]{{sfn|Qiu|2000|p=143}} describes the script in ''Xuanshi biao'' as:
{{blockquote|...clearly emerging from the womb of early period semi-cursive script. If one were to write the tidily written variety of early period semi-cursive script in a more dignified fashion and were to use consistently the pause technique [({{zhi|c=頓|p=dùn}})], used to reinforce the beginning or ending of a stroke when ending horizontal strokes, a practice which already appears in early period semi-cursive script, and further were to make use of right-falling strokes with thick feet, the result would be a style of calligraphy like that in the "Xuān shì biǎo".}}

However, very few wrote in this script at the time other than a few literati; most continued writing in the neo-clerical script, or a hybrid form of semi-cursive and neo-clerical.{{sfn|Qiu|2000|p=143}} The regular script did not become dominant until the 5th century during the early [[Northern and Southern period]] (420–589); there was a variety of the regular script which emerged from neo-clerical as well as regular scripts{{sfn|Qiu|2000|p=146}} known as {{zhl|t=魏楷|p=Wèikǎi|l=[[Northern Wei|Wei]] regular}} or {{zhl|t=魏碑|p=Wèibēi|l=Wei stele}}. Thus, the regular script is descended both from the early semi-cursive style as well as from the neo-clerical script.

The script is considered to have become stylistically mature during the [[Tang dynasty]] (618–907), with the most famous and oft-imitated calligraphers of that period being the early Tang's Four Great Calligraphers ({{lang|zh|初唐四大家}}): [[Ouyang Xun]], [[Yu Shinan]], [[Chu Suiliang]], and [[Xue Ji]], as well as the tandem of [[Yan Zhenqing]] and [[Liu Gongquan]].

During the [[Northern Song]] (960–1127), [[Emperor Huizong of Song|Emperor Huizong]] created an iconic style known as {{zhl|c=瘦金體|p=shòujīntǐ|l=slender gold}}.<ref>{{Citation |title=Huizong |work=Encyclopædia Britannica |year=2024 |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Huizong}}</ref> During the [[Yuan dynasty]] (1271–1368), [[Zhao Mengfu]] (1254–1322) also became known for his own calligraphic style for the regular script, called {{zhp|t=趙體|p=Zhaoti}}.

92 rules governing the fundamental structure of regular script were established during the [[Qing dynasty]] (1644–1912); the calligrapher {{ill|Huang Ziyuan|zh|黄自元}} wrote a guidebook illustrating these rules, with four characters provided as an example for each.
{{Clear left}}