r/shufa

Writing Chinese calligraphy looks simple and effortless.
In just 4 seconds, you can finish a whole character.

But in reality, that final horizontal stroke hides 5 hidden techniques.

1. 欲右先左，凌空起势，犹如太极拳起式 Start from the left before going right — hovering in the air to build momentum, just like the opening of Tai Chi
2. 杀纸入笔，停顿蓄势后起笔 Thrust firmly into the paper, pause to accumulate power, then begin the stroke
3. 由慢而快，势弱后，由快而慢再蓄势 Slow to fast, then after the momentum weakens, fast to slow again to rebuild power
4. 势满后自然停笔，最终凝重往左上空迅捷收笔 When the momentum is full, stop naturally, then with dignity swiftly lift the brush toward the upper left
5. 不描不画，起笔和收笔都仅利用了笔毫的形状，连笔尖的缺陷也忠实反映来 Never trace or redraw — use only the natural shape of the brush tip for both start and end, faithfully reflecting even the imperfections of the tip

Did you catch all five?

Original transcript:
登临送目，正故国晚秋，天气初肃。
千里澄江似练，翠峰如簇。
归帆去棹残阳里，背西风，酒旗斜矗。
彩舟云淡，星河鹭起，画图难足。

念往昔，繁华竞逐，叹门外楼头，悲恨相续。
千古凭高对此，谩嗟荣辱。
六朝旧事随流水，但寒烟衰草凝绿。
至今商女，时时犹唱，后庭遗曲。

这首诗的最后一句让我联想到了“商女不知亡国恨，隔江犹唱后庭花”。应该有些异曲同工之处。

Keep practicing

Kaishu
業精於勤
Yè jīng yú qín
Excellence comes from diligence

Lishu
書山有路勤為徑，學海無涯苦作舟。
Shū shān yǒu lù qín wéi jìng, xué hǎi wú yá kǔ zuò zhōu.
In the mountain of books, diligence is the path; in the boundless sea of learning, perseverance is the boat.

Xingshu
平心乐意
Bình tâm lạc ý
A calm mind and a joyful heart

I haven't logged into Reddit for a day. I've seen many comments, including debates and suggestions regarding my post. I've seen them all and will pay attention and make clear notes in the future.

BTW, I want to reiterate here: all the calligraphy works I post are by my brother, and all his works are Chinese calligraphy in cursive script.

Written over 1,600 years ago, Wang Xizhi's original was a simple note, a fleeting thought captured in ink. Yet, within its fluid lines, he unlocked a universe of expression, earning his title as the "Sage of Calligraphy."

my hand hurts.

Hi Shufa community!

Was wondering if I could get some much appreciated help confirming/correcting translations for some of these poems? I found out recently that my gong gong (who is quite old now) used to write poems/practice calligraphy. It's a longer story of how I never knew but I am no longer able to talk with him about his work and feel like there is much to know about him that he rarely shared with us.

Any translating help would be helpful and much appreciated! A translation of the actual letters too would be amazing, my chinese is not so good.

Top poem:

Red leaves carry an immortal grace,

Deep autumn stirs my thoughts,

I have yet to carve my ambitions into stone,

Yet I gaze admiringly at the great Du Fu’s spirit,

The eye stretches far over surging waves,

Mist and smoke rise and thin around me,

This life — its misty feelings dispersing,

In the end, the ambitions of my youth unfulfilled…

Written in the autumn of Jiashen, moved by the sight of maple leaves, as a commemoration.

Bottom poem:

A single ray of light released,

Autumn brings purple swallows and birds,

Bells toll, birds call,

The land, rivers and mountains stand firm,

Green grass — all worries forgotten,

The lake’s colours, bound by fate,

Dongting Lake…

In the Yichou year, at this lakeside in Guangzhou/Canada, moved by the green colour of the lake, I write this quietly to console my longing for home. Autumn.

Let me know what you guys think! Thank you again.

"The power of public opinion to discredit the truth remains true today. Cao Zhi's poem 'When the Wall Wants to Rise High' reminds us that when rumors become weapons, the truth has nowhere to hide. This calligraphy describes a grievance from a thousand years ago, but it also reflects how we are misunderstood, isolated, and blocked outside the 'nine gates' in every era."

I was gifted this fan but I have no idea what it says.

There’s a quiet magic in the stillness of night, when the world slows down and the brush becomes an extension of the soul. We are lost in the verses of Zhang Ruoxu’s *Spring River, Flower, Moon, Night* — a poem that has echoed through centuries, capturing the timeless dance of river, moon, and human longing.

As the ink flowed onto the paper, each stroke felt like a whisper: “春江潮水连海平，海上明月共潮生” (The spring river rises level with the sea; The bright moon rises with the tide). The characters, in their fluid cursive script, seemed to ripple like water, carrying the weight of ancient wisdom and the lightness of a moonlit dream.

Tonight, we got a new partner! She takes her role as head of quality control very seriously, perched right on the cola, watching the ink dance. So sweet🥰

Left a note to the head of the community. Suddenly what enlightened me was that the most fundamental meaning of writing is to convey messages. Also the hermitage name has been changed recently:)

This wasn't even planned to be framed, but here we are. It was my personal twist on a homework I had for this phrase, where I thought it would be cool to merge 云 and 水 together.

It just so happened that I had my first ever lesson on glueing the silk and hard paper. So, I bought a frame lol

I think it's not that bad after all. I like making the original composition out of the characters. The signature is intentionally very thin, although my xingshu sucks. Not all lines are perfect, but again, it wasn't even planned to be amything but a practice twist

P.S. Someone please comment something, or I will die of embarrassment 🥲