Wang Xizhi 王羲之 China’s greatest and certainly most famous calligrapher

Western Jin Dynasty 西晋 265-318

Eastern Jin Dynasty 东晋 317-420

Jin Dyansty 金代 Dynasty created by Jurchens in the north, ran alongside the Southern Song

Sima Yan 司马炎 Founder of Jin Dynasty (Jin Wudi)

Luoyang 洛阳 Located in Henan, capital for several dynasties including Western Jin

Jiankang 建康 Present day Nanjing

Liu Yu 刘裕 Founder of the Liu Song dynasty

Sima Yi 司马懿 General and official of Cao Wei state. Grandfather of Sima Yan

Cao Wei 曹魏 Northern state during the Three Kingdoms period

Emperor Min 晋敏帝 Last emperor of the Western Jin who lived a tragic and pitiful ending

Han Zhao 汉赵 State during the Northen Kingdoms

Sima Rui 司马瑞 First emperor of Eastern Jin, Jin Yuandi

Jin Yuandi 晋元帝 First emperor of Eastern Jin

Xiongnu 匈奴 “Barbarian” northern nomadic people who fought on and off for millennia with the Han Chinese

Hakka (Kejia) 客家人 The Hakka People (Guest People)

Cai Lun 蔡伦 Inventor of paper making process

The Four Treasures 文房四宝 The four essentials of any aristocrats desk

Bi, mo, zhi, yan 笔墨纸砚 Brush, Ink, Paper, Ink Stone

Shaoxing 绍兴 Birthplace of Wang Xizhi (and many others in history), halfway between Ningbo and Hangzhou

Zhejiang 浙江 Rich province in China where Ningbo, Hangzhou, Shaoxing are located

Wei Shuo 衛鑠 Madam Wei, Lady Wei, tutor to Wang Xizhi

Zhong You (Zhong Yao) 钟繇 Greatest calligrapher up to the time of the 4th century

Cai Yong 蔡邕 Eastern Han calligrapher

Li Si 李斯 Prime minister during time of Qin Shihuang, credited with standardizing the small seal script

Jiaguwen 甲骨文 The earliest Chinese writing carved in bones and shells

Yongzi Bafa 永字八法 The Eight Principles of Yong

Bi Zhen Tu 笔阵图 Lady Wei’s Illustrated Formation of the Writing Brush

Wang Xianzhi 王献之 Son of Wang Xizhi, also a great calligrapher

Li Shimin 李世民 Co-founder with his father Li Yuan, of the Tang Dynasty, went on to reign as the Taizong emperor

Tang Taizong 太宗帝 The Taizong emperor and charter member of the Wang Xizhi Fan Club

Lantingji Xu 兰亭集序 The Preface to the Collection of Orchid Pavilion Poems