Other meanings of Regular script
Calligraphy
Regular script (楷書, kǎishū) is the standard Chinese calligraphic script that emerged during the Han dynasty and became the dominant writing style for formal documents and printed text. It is characterized by its square, upright structure, clear strokes, and balanced composition, making it the most legible of the major Chinese scripts. Regular script evolved from clerical script and reached its mature form during the Wei–Jin period, with masters like Wang Xizhi and his son Wang Xianzhi setting enduring standards. It remains the basis for modern Chinese typography and is the first script taught to students of calligraphy.
Regular script developed from clerical script (隸書) during the late Han dynasty, as scribes simplified the wave-like strokes and angular turns into more straight and uniform forms. The transition was gradual, with early examples found on wooden slips and stone inscriptions from the 2nd century CE. By the Three Kingdoms period, the style had become distinct, and the calligrapher Zhong Yao (鍾繇) is often credited with early standardization. During the Eastern Jin dynasty, Wang Xizhi (王羲之) and his son Wang Xianzhi refined regular script into a graceful and balanced art, establishing models that later generations emulated. The style reached its apex in the Tang dynasty, when masters like Ouyang Xun, Yan Zhenqing, and Liu Gongquan created the classic regular script styles that are still studied today.
Regular script is distinguished by its square, upright characters with even stroke thickness and clear, deliberate brushwork. Each stroke has a defined start, middle, and end, often with a slight pause or hook at the termination. The structure emphasizes balance and symmetry, with characters typically fitting into an imaginary square. Unlike clerical script, regular script reduces the pronounced wave (蠶頭燕尾) and uses more straight lines and right angles. The stroke order follows a fixed sequence (e.g., top to bottom, left to right), which is essential for legibility and is taught in modern Chinese education. The style also allows for variations in weight and spacing, enabling individual expression while maintaining overall harmony.
Regular script became the standard for official documents, stone inscriptions, and printed books from the Tang dynasty onward. Its clarity and uniformity made it ideal for woodblock printing, which spread widely during the Song dynasty. The style also influenced calligraphy in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, where it was adopted for classical writing. In modern times, regular script forms the basis of standard Chinese typefaces, such as KaiTi and Song, used in print and digital media. It remains a required skill in Chinese calligraphy education, with students practicing it before moving to running or cursive scripts. The style's enduring appeal lies in its combination of discipline and expressiveness, making it both a practical tool and an art form.
Beyond the famous masters, regular script has many niche dimensions. The 'regular script' of the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534) is known as 'Wei stele' style, which features a more rugged, angular look and is highly prized by collectors. The calligrapher Zhao Mengfu of the Yuan dynasty revived the style by blending it with running script, creating a softer variant. In the 20th century, the simplification of Chinese characters in the 1950s introduced new regular script forms, which differ from traditional characters in stroke count and structure. Additionally, regular script is used in modern sign painting and stone engraving, and it has influenced the design of Latin fonts, such as the 'Kai' style in typography. Some calligraphers practice 'small regular script' (小楷), which is written in tiny sizes, often for religious texts or personal letters.
Regular script remains the most widely taught and used Chinese script, bridging ancient tradition and modern communication.
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