Top 9 national treasures from hit TV show

5. The Tang Dynasty copy of calligraphy by Wang Xizhi from Liaoning Provincial Museum

Chinese actress Ning Jing introduces the Tang Dynasty copy of calligraphy by calligraphy sage Wang Xizhi of the East Jin Dynasty (317-420). This collection, also comprising calligraphy works by Wang's 27 offspring, was presented to Empress Wu Zetian in the second year of her reign (697) by a descendant of the great calligrapher. The empress immediately ordered the collection copied and kept in her palace. The scroll was beautifully copied and has been praised as an outstanding likeness to the original.

As it was made during the Wansuitongtian period (696-697), it is also known as the Wansuitongtian script. It shows the relationship between calligraphy styles that were practiced during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern dynasties (220-581), and is a valuable resource for researching the development of Chinese calligraphy script.