---
node: wang_xizhi
type: person
slug: wang_xizhi
title: "Wang Xizhi"
lead: "Wang Xizhi (c. 303–c. 361; his dates are debated) was an Eastern Jin aristocrat revered as the Sage of Calligraphy. His Orchid Pavilion Preface of 353 is the most celebrated work in the history of Chinese calligraphy."
published: 2026-07-09
updated: 2026-07-09
---

## Who they were

An aristocrat of the Eastern Jin dynasty, Wang Xizhi earned the title "Sage of Calligraphy" (書聖). He was a master above all of running script (行書), the fluid semi-cursive style.

## What they did

In 353 he attended a gathering of literati at Lanting, near modern Shaoxing, and wrote the Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion — the single most admired piece of Chinese calligraphy. The original is lost: tradition says Emperor Taizong of Tang, who adored it, had it buried with him, and the work survives through Tang-era copies. His son Wang Xianzhi also ranks among the greatest calligraphers; father and son are known as "the two Wangs."

## Legacy

For more than 1,500 years, calligraphy in China — and in Japan — measured itself against his standard.