Yan Zhenqing (707-784), born in Wannian, Jingzhao (now Xi’an, capital of Northwest China’s Shaanxi province), was a government official and a calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

In 734, Yan passed the imperial examination and became a government official of the royal court. He was known for his integrity, loyalty, and honesty.

In 753, he served as the prefecture chief of Pingyuan (now Ling county, East China’s Shandong province) and made preparations in time when he found that An Lushan, a trusted general of Emperor Xuzong of the Tang Dynasty, had ambitions of leading a rebellion. 

In 755, Yan gathered an army of 200,000 men from the neighboring 17 prefectures to prevent An from attacking Tongguan county in Shaanxi province.

In 784, Yan was killed by Li Xilie, a rebel against the royal ruler, when he was trying to persuade Li to give up the rebellion.

During his life, Yan was also a distinguished Chinese calligraphic master. He first learnt from Chu Suiliang (596-658/659), a great calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty, and later was instructed by Zhang Xu (685-759), another great calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty. 

He absorbed the strengths of his predecessors and created his own style. His running script was energetic and unrestrained, with the features of the flourishing Tang Dynasty.

He was referred with Liu Gongquan (778-895), a famous calligrapher of the late Tang Dynasty, as “Yan-Liu,” and their strokes were known as "muscle of Yan and bone of Liu."

In addition, Yan was good at writing poems and his works were collected in the Collection of Yan Lugong.

The Ji Zhi Wen Gao, a funeral ode written by Yan Zhenqing to his nephew. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]