CAOSHU (CURSIVE) AND XINGSHU (SEMI-CURSIVE): WRITINGS ON THE RUN Caoshu and Xingshu Scripts were two easy-to-write forms invented for great efficiency

	Xingshu (Semi-cursive, or "Running Script") came into vogue dring the Wei and Jin Periods (220-420). It combined practical use with aesthetic value. Portrait of Wang XiZhi, the great Jin calligrapher famed for his semi-cursive writing.
	Tang Dynasty copy of Lan Ting Ji Xu
	Jincao (modern cursive script) was initiated by Zhang Zhi. His calligraphy is also called "one stroke writing" for its fast movement and countinuity.
	Caoshu Script has three categories: Zhangcao, Jincao and Kuangcao. Wood slips written in Zhangcao Script.
	Kuangcao ("Wild Cursive") was invented by Zhang Xu. As the characters are written too speedily to be recognizable, this kind of writing is valued mostly for aesthetic reasons. A Qing portrait of Zhang Xu at his writing.
	"Orchid Pavilion Steles" of Zhejiang, China, where Wang Xzhi created his masterpiece Lan Ting Ji Xu (Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collections), the greatest known example of semi-cursive Chinese calligraphy.

KAISHU (Standard Script): MODEL WRITINGS

	At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-200), a new form of handwriting, Kaishu, came into being. The initiator of Kaishu was Zhong You (above).
	Smooth in line, square in shape, and very easy to write, Kaishu is regarded as "Standard Script", as it can be used as a model for other forms of writing. It remains the standard written Script of Chinese today. Zhong Yao's Xuanshi Proclamation.