Wang Xizhi Former Residence

Wang Xizhi was born in Linyi in the early fourth century CE, and the city has preserved a memorial site at the location of his family's estate. The compound includes reproductions of classical garden elements, stone steles carved with examples of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy (or later copies of it — no originals survive from his hand), and a museum covering his life and the development of Chinese regular and running script.

For those with an interest in Chinese calligraphy — one of the most demanding and most celebrated art forms in the Chinese tradition — this is a meaningful visit. For others, the memorial is pleasant rather than compelling. The combination with the Zhuge Liang former residence nearby makes a logical half-day of historical memorial sites.

things to do sight
A story
Wang Xizhi (303–361 CE) is the defining figure in Chinese calligraphy — "the Sage of Calligraphy" — whose writing is so revered that rubbings of his inscriptions have been treasured objects for sixteen centuries. His most famous work, the *Lantingji Xu* (Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection), was written in 353 CE during a wine-drinking poetry gathering; the original was allegedly buried with the Tang Emperor Taizong, who coveted it so obsessively that he ordered it entombed with him.