source 25! woo hoo!

1. http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/chinese-calligraphy.html
2. Shi Bo
3. Author of Between Heaven and Earth, A History of Chinese Writing
4. the source says, "Chinese calligraphy shows an incontestable esthetic quality.
   
   For this reason, the Chinese -- the intellectuals in particular -- decorate their studies with one or two calligraphies excuted on a silk scroll to imbue their houses with a refined and distiniguised atmosphere.
   
   They also follow the custom of putting up the two panels of their entry doors, or on either side of them, two parallel sentences written on two long pieces of paper.
   
   These two phrases often express a wish for a good year, delare an aspiration of the master of the house, or simply show his desire to add a note of distinction to his house."
5. yes
6. because the information is clear and very easy to understand

source 24

1. http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/callig/7calmodn.htm
2. Patricia Buckley Ebrey
3. -.edu website
4. the source says, "Calligraphy has remained a potent force in Chinese life up to the present. During the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, calligraphy continued to be a central art of the literati, closely associated both with painting and with the social and cultural life of the educated elite. The Chinese landscape came to reflect the appreciation of calligraphy, as stones inscribed with the calligraphy of admired artists were erected at famous sites. Calligraphy could also be seen on temple name plaques, on shop signs, and on couplets pasted by the doors of even very modest homes. Calligraphy, thus, formed an ever-present part of China's visual culture."
5. yes
6. the credentials are okay, and this site has been reviewed by many experts.

source 23

1. http://library.thinkquest.org/3614/drawing.htm
2. 11 year old Chelsea, 11 year old Nicole
3. ...? nothing really... fifth graders?
4. the source shows how to create the seven simple strokes and gives a little explanation on the different parts necessary for calligraphy.
5. somewhat
6. they are 11 years old... but the information seems so simple. it's so clear.

source 22

1. http://www.arthistoryclub.com/art_history/Calligraphy
2. N/A
3. N/A
4. the source says, "Calligraphy is an art dating back to the earliest day of history, and widely practiced throughout China to this day. Although it uses Chinese words as its vehicle of expression, one does not have to know Chinese to appreciate its beauty. Because in essence, Calligraphy is an abstract art.
   
   East Asian calligraphy typically uses ink brushes to write Chinese characters (called Hanzi in Chinese, Kanji in Japanese, and Hanja in Korean). Calligraphy (in Chinese, Shufa 書法, in Japanese Shodō 書道, in Korean, Seoyae 書藝, all meaning "the way of writing") is considered an important art in East Asia and the most refined form of East Asian painting.
   
   The style of Chinese calligraphy has evolved continually for thousands of years. About 213 B.C., under the famous Qin Shi Huangdi, who perpetrated the 'burning of the books', the Prime Minister Li Si drew up an official index of characters and unified the written form for the use of scholars. This is chuan-shu and contained more than 3,000 characters. From that time to the present, there have been five major styles of calligraphy. Using their Japanese names, they are tensho (seal style), reisho (scribe's style), kaisho (block style), gyosho (semi-cursive style), and sosho (cursive style, literally "grass writingstyles"). All five styles of writing are still in use today.
   In addition to these, the Japanese developed the kana characters during the eighth century. In contrast to Chinese characters, which express both sound and meaning ideographically, kana express only sound without regard to meaning. Three types of kana have been developed, manyogana, hiragana, and katakana. The manyogana are a subset of the Chinese characters used phonetically to represent the syllables of Japanese, and are named after the eighth century poetry collection Manyoshu. Manyogana is now obsolete.
   
   At the time this collection was compiled the Japanese had no writing system of their own. Some of the Japanese poems were rendered in Chinese characters used phonetically, and in others the Chinese characters were used sometimes phonetically and sometimes ideographically. Using the kanji manyogana as a guide, hiragana and katakana were developed from simplified cursive versions of characters. In the hands of Japanese noblewomen, hiragana developed into a beautiful script which is the unique calligraphic style of Japan. In contrast to the loops and curves of hiragana, katakana is more angular and relies on sharp angles. Written Japanese uses both scripts along with Chinese characters, and basic calligraphy instruction is still common in Japanese lower education.
   Calligraphy has influenced most major art styles in East Asia, including sumi-e, a style of Japanese painting using indian ink.
   
   East Asian calligraphy typically uses ink brushes to write Chinese characters (called Hanzi in Chinese, Kanji in Japanese, and Hanja in Korean). Calligraphy (in Chinese, Shufa 書法, in Japanese Shodō 書道, or "the way of writing") is considered an important art in East Asia and the most refined form of East Asian painting.
   Calligraphy has influenced most major art styles in East Asia, including sumi-e, a style of Chinese and Japanese painting based entirely on calligraphy."
5. somewhat
6. the information seems logical but there were no credentials to sway my thought to believe this site

source 21?!?!

1. http://www.artrealization.com/traditional_chinese_art/calligraphy/introduction/chinese_calligraphy_intro.htm
2. N/A
3. N/A
4. the source says, "Chinese calligraphy can be seen as the backbone of China's artistic tradition. This branch of art was, and still is, the most dominant vehicle through which the Chinese express their emotions in the world of visual art.
   
   To begin with, it is crucial to differentiate Western and Chinese Calligraphy. In the west, calligraphy, literally meaning beautiful or good writing is a minor art which tends to embellish letters in a rather preconceived and rigid manner. Western calligraphy is more often than not executed by well practiced artisans (in the past mainly monks), than real artists. This is not to say that the more casual and expressive forms of calligraphy did not exist, however, people involved in this practice were never looked upon as established artists."
5. yes
6. because the website looks very professional. also, the information is supported by other sites listed in this site.

Source 20!

1. http://www.chinesecalligraphyinfo.com/index.php
2. N/A
3. N/A
4. the source says, "In both Chinese and Japanese cultures, the art of calligraphy is considered an endeavor equal to the art of brush painting. In addition to artistic expression, the practice of calligraphy is thought to bring good health and increase longevity by exercising the spirit, the mind and the body all at once.The most effective calligraphic artists strive to perfect a symbiosis of form and meaning to express the complete spirit of the characters they depict. Whether paired with painting or pursued alone, learning to create calligraphy is fundamental to those interested in Asian Art forms."
5. not really..
6. there was really no source.. and there were no credentials.. this almost seems more of an opionon rather than a fact.

Source 19?

1. http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/calligraphy.htm
2. Victor Shu
3. Director of ChinaHighlights.com
4. the source says, "Calligraphy is one of the traditional arts unique to China. It is not only a stool of cultural communication but an artistic treasure with shining and extraordinary splendor. Chinese calligraphy has a long history and lasts about 1000 years. It can be considered as a unique artistic form of the treasury of Chinese culture. It is the representative of Chinese art and is reputed as the most ancient artistic form in the history of oriental world. Calligraphy has exerted wide influence world widely and has even been introduced to many neighboring countries. Picasso, the world famous master of art, once expressed that "If I once lived in China, I must had become a calligrapher rather than a painter". Chinese traditional calligraphy mainly fall into six categories: Seal Charater, Official Script, Formal Script, Running Script, Formal Script, Running Script, Cursive Hand."
5. somewhat
6. it challenges the number of categories of calligraphy but agrees with other sites for the most part

source 18!

1. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/chcl/hd_chcl.htm
2. Dawn Delbanco
3. Department of Art History and Archaeology, Columbia University
4. the source says, "But expressive as calligraphy is, it is also an art of control. A counterbalance of order and dynamism is manifested in all aspects of Chinese writing. In traditional Chinese texts, words are arranged in vertical columns that are read from right to left. Traditional texts have no punctuation; nor are proper nouns visually distinguishable from other words. The orderly arrangement of characters is inherent in each individual character as well. One does not write characters in haphazard fashion: an established stroke order ensures that a character is written exactly the same way each time. This not only makes the formidable task of memorization easier, but ensures that each character will be written with a sense of balance and proportion, and that one is able to write with an uninterrupted flow and rhythm. The calligrapher and the dancer have much in common: each must learn choreographed movements; each must maintain compositional order. But once the rules have been observed, each may break free within certain boundaries to express a personal vitality. "
5. yes
6. the credentials are great in magnitude and the information is greatly explained. It sounds professional.

source 17

1. http://www.chinavista.com/experience/calligraphy/calligra.html
2. Mr.Du Feibao
3. graduated from Shanghai Foreign Languages Institute in 1964. After more than 20 years service for the National Travel Bureau, he is now working for China Nationality Travel Service.
4. the source says, "
   Calligraphy is understood in China as the art of writing a good hand with the brush or the study of the rules and techniques of this art. As such it is peculiar to China and the few countries influenced by ancient Chinese culture.
   
   In the history of Chinese art, calligraphy has always been held in equal importance to painting. Great attention is also paid today to its development by holding exhibitions of ancient and contemporary works and by organizing competitions among youngsters and people from various walks of life. Sharing of experience in this field often makes a feature in Sino-Japanese cultural exchange.
   
   Chinese calligraphy, like the script itself, began with the hieroglyphs and, over the long ages of evolution, has developed various styles and schools, constituting an important part of the heritage of national culture.
   
   Chinese scripts are generally divided into five categories: the seal character (zhuan), the official or clerical script (li), the regular script (kai), the running hand (xing) and the cursive hand (cao)."
5. yes
6. because it supports my other sources.

source 16

1. http://www.asianartmall.com/calligraphyarticle.htm
2. asianartmall.com
3. N/A
4. The source says, "Calligraphy literally means ‘Beautiful Writing’ and has been accepted and acknowledged as an art form in various cultures throughout the world. But the ancient Chinese Calligraphy is unparalleled. Chinese calligraphy is a unique oriental art form to Asian cultures with a brilliant tradition as ancient as the culture itself. It is similar to painting and makes use of Chinese characters as an elementary vehicle to communicate and spread the divine world of the artist. All the way through, Calligraphy uses a basic media, brush handling techniques, scripts, presentation and style to express the emotions, culture, artistic/creative feelings, and moral principles of the artist to the readers who are overwhelmed by the power of application and the pleasure of beauty. Calligraphy is not just another way of writing Chinese characters, but also a beautiful, elaborate and a stylish art of interpretation and a branch of learning.
   
   The origin of Chinese Calligraphy is not very precise. According to a tale in ancient Chinese history, Chinese calligraphy is approximately 4000 years old and originated during the reign of the Yellow Emperor a man named Cang Jie. Earlier periods of the Chinese history reveal that calligraphy was viewed as a matchless and independent visual art form rather than merely an ornamental art and was highly regarded over painting and sculpture, and paralleled alongside poetry as a means of self-expression and cultivation. Calligraphy became an art during the reign of Qin Dynasty and started to blossom in the Han Dynasty. Jin Dynasty saw the emergence of some great calligraphers, including Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi. Achievements in the field of calligraphy were also seen in the North and South Dynasty and the calligraphy works in this period were called as Wei Bei. During the rule of Tang dynasty, calligraphy was taken more seriously; hence a lot of great calligraphers appeared during their reign, including Yan Zhenqing. With the fall of the Tang Dynasty, the decline of calligraphy began and the worst period was Ming Dynasty."
5. somewhat
6. the information seems logical and has been repeated before which supports the past facts but there were no credentials that I saw

source 15

1. http://www.chinaorbit.com/china-culture/art-of-chinese-calligraphy.htmlfakldfa
2. N/A
3. N/A
4. the source says, "Several styles of writing can be distinguished, such as seal, official or clerical, running or semi-cursive, cursive and regular. Each style has its own specific features and purpose. There exist seven basic strokes, also known as the seven mysteries. The basic strokes consist of a dot, a horizontal line, a vertical line, a sweeping downward stroke, a sharp curve and a downward stroke.
   
   Combined, the various styles, shapes and forms are infinite and depend on factors like the concentration of ink, the flexibility of the paint brush, the thickness of the paper and the absorptive capacity of it. A specific feature of calligraphy is that all strokes are permanent and incorrigible. Each stroke demands careful planning and a confident execution with a steady hand. Because this form of art is so sublime and abstract, in the imperial era, the general assumption originated that calligraphy had the ability to reveal one’s personality. Therefore, this characteristic was used as an significant criteria for selecting executives for the Imperial Court."
5. somewhat
6. there wasn't enough credentials for me, but the information seems credible

source 14

1. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/719284/Chinese-calligraphy
2. Encyclopedia Britannica
3. ...? its ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA
4. the source says, "Calligraphy rivals painting as a fine art in China, and paintings are often captioned with artfully written poems. Calligraphy reveals the great fondness the Chinese have for their written characters, and it ranges in style from meticulously and laboriously scribed “seal” characters to flamboyant and unconstrained “grass” characters. Calligraphy, as painting, is prized for a number of abstract aesthetic qualities, described by such terms as balance, vitality, energy, bones, wind, and strength."
5. yes
6. because the credentials are very gread and reliable

source 13

1. http://chinese-school.netfirms.com/Chinese-calligraphy-facts.html
2. Los Angeles Learning Center
3. they offer classes on the Chinese language
4. the source says, "It is very much like painting. It uses Chinese characters to communicate the spiritual world of the artist. Just as one thousand persons will have as many faces, one thousand persons will have as many differences in handwriting. Through the medium of form, way of handling the brush, presentation, and style, calligraphy as a work of art conveys the moral integrity, character, emotions, esthetic feelings and culture of the artist to readers affecting them by the power of appeal and the joy of beauty.
   
   Calligraphy is not only a practical technique for writing Chinese characters, but also a unique Oriental art of expression and a branch of learning or discipline as well. As a branch of learning it is rich in content, including the evolution of writing styles, development and rules of technique, history of calligraphy, calligraphers and their inheritance in art, and evaluation of calligraphy as a work of art. This branch of learning is wide ranging and deep, forming an important part of Chinese culture.
   
   Like chopsticks, this calligraphy used to be wholly Chinese. As Chinese culture spread to Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Singapore, calligraphy became a unique feature of Oriental art."
5. somewhat
6. there wasn't enough credentials to support their facts

source 12

1. http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/callig/callmain.htm
2. Patricia Buckley Ebrey
3. -.edu website
4. the source says, "In China, the style in which an individual writes has long been believed to communicate something essential about his or her personality, intellect, and abilities. Even today it is a common presumption that one can "read" the identity of the person through his or her handwriting."
   
   
   The European term calligraphy means "beautiful writing," and reflects an interest in ornamenting words on the page; most European calligraphy is highly stylized, regular, and decorated with flourishes, which in themselves are lacking in personal expression. Calligraphy in the West was always considered a minor art and tended to curb spontaneity, producing fairly static forms.
   
   In China, however, this was far from the case; the most widely practiced writing styles favored spontaneity, and the brush was thought to act like a seismograph in recording the movements of arm, wrist, and hand. East Asian calligraphy was established as a "high art" form well before the Tang dynasty. It has continuously enjoyed a high status among the arts ever since, and is practiced today by many people, including every school-aged child."
5. yes
6. this site is meant for educational purposes. it has been reviewed by many experts

source 11

1. http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_artqa/2004-02/04/content_45863.htm
2. Chinaculture.org
3. Under the guidance of the Ministry of Culture, Chinaculture.org was developed and is maintained by Chinadaily.com.cn. Chinagate.org, originally Culturalink.gov.cn, began a trial run in January 2002. On October 1, 2003, the Website began offering comprehensive information services in both Chinese and English, and changed its domain name to Chinaculture.org.
   
   Chinaculture.org is widely acknowledged as one of the most effective and convenient medium for learning about China. It also promotes cultural and economic exchange and enhances a mutual understanding between China and the world.
4. The source says, "Few nations in the world have calligraphy as a form of art. In China, calligraphy has maintained a close rapport with the country's cultural development.
   
   Calligraphy is an expressive art. According to an old Chinese saying, "the way characters are written is a portrait of the person who writes them." Expressing the abstract beauty of lines and rhythms, calligraphy is a reflection of a person's emotions, moral integrity, character, educational level, accomplishments in self-cultivation, intellectual tastes and approach to life. Chinese characters, which convey ideas, are regarded as the most abstract and sublime art form.
   
   Calligraphy is also a practical fine art. Exotic calligraphic inscriptions written on paper, wooden plaques or stone tablets serve as decorations of a deep artistic value.
   
   Calligraphy manifests the basic characteristics of all Chinese arts. Closely associated with paintings -- the two leaders of Chinese art forms -- calligraphy takes precedence over painting since it greatly inspired the art of painting. Moreover, calligraphy has influenced other typically Chinese art forms like classical poetry, seal-cutting, sculpture, traditional music and dance, architecture and handicrafts.
   
   Calligraphy is a mental exercise that coordinates the mind and body. It is a most relaxing yet highly disciplined exercise for physical and spiritual well-being. Historically, many calligraphic artists lived to a ripe, old age. "
5. yes
6. the credentials have pursuaded me to give trust in this site

source 10

1. http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa021500a.htm
2. Lisa Chiu
3. "Lisa holds a bachelor's in journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a master's degree in China Studies from the University of Washington, and a master's degree in journalism from The American University. Lisa has been a reporter for The Orange County Register, The Arizona Republic, and The Seattle Times. She was also a copy editor at China Daily, China's English-language newspaper, and China Central Television International, both in Beijing." (http://chineseculture.about.com/mbiopage.htm)
4. The source says, "The Chinese Brush Calligraphy is one of the traditional four arts which was once an important critical standard for the Chinese literati in the imperial era and now prevails not only in China but also worldwide as a unique branch of art.
   
   Calligraphy is so abstract and sublime that in Chinese culture it is universally regarded to be the most revealing power of a person. While one has conformed to the defined structure of words, the expression can be displayed with great creativity by individuals.
   
   To become an artist or expert in calligraphy, one has to practice word by word and stroke by stroke until the spirit of the practice gets into one's mind. Just as Chinese Qi Gong, the Chinese brush calligraphy can temper a person into a state in which one can apply subconsciousness got from the daily practice to control the concentration of ink and the compatibility of font and size of each piece or word."
5. yes
6. the credentials are very great and this information repeats some of the information in past sources which help confirm this fact.

source 9

1. http://www.asiawind.com/art/callig/Default.htm
2. Dr. Siu-Leung Lee
3. title as "Doctor"
4. the source says, "Regarded as the most abstract and sublime form of art in Chinese culture, "Shu Fa" (calligraphy) is often thought to be most revealing of one's personality. During the imperial era, calligraphy was used as an important criterion for selection of executives to the Imperial court."
5. yes
6. the site looks very professional and her title as "Doctor" also caught my attention.

source 8

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_calligraphy
2. N/A
3. N/A
4. The source says, "The art of calligraphy is widely practiced and revered in the East Asian civilizations that use or used Chinese characters. These include China, Japan, Korea, and to a lesser extent, Vietnam. In addition to being an art form in its own right, calligraphy has also influenced ink and wash painting, which is accomplished using similar tools and techniques. The East Asian tradition of calligraphy originated and developed from China, specifically the ink and brush writing of Chinese characters. There is a general standardization of the various styles of calligraphy in the East Asian tradition. Calligraphy has also led to the development of many other forms of art in East Asia, including seal carving, ornate paperweights, and inkstones."
5. a little bit
6. because the source is wikipedia and the "facts" stated on wikipedia are not always true

source 7!

1. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/arts/chinese-calligraphy.htm
2. Marco Polo International Travel Service
3. Marco Polo International Travel Service is a member of the Pacific Asia Travel Association(PATA) which is the leading voice and authority on Asia Pacific travel and tourism. Marco Polo International Travel Service is also a member of CATS (China Association of Travel Services) which is a national tourism industry association.
4. The source says, "Calligraphy, like a mirror, is a silent reflection of the soul. It is believed to have verve, of optimism, moderateness, or pessimism. Su Dongpo, one of the four litterateurs in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), composed many bold and unconstrained ci (a form of poetry that flourished in the Song Dynasty), also could write handsome characters in good taste."
5. yes
6. because their credentials seem to be very great in magnitude.

source 6

1. http://www.zein.se/patrick/copyright.html
2. Patrick Hassel Zein
3. his website won the Multilingual Learner Award in 2002
4. The source says, "Nice writing = Correct writing = Writing every stroke in correct order"
5. yes
6. because of the award that his website had won

source 5

1. http://www.chinavoc.com/arts/calligraphy.htm
2. Bonan Guo
3. author of: Gate to Chinese Calligraphy
4. the source says, "Chinese calligraphy is an Oriental art. But what makes it an art? It is very much like painting. It uses Chinese characters to communicate the spiritual world of the artist. Just as one thousand persons will have as many faces, one thousand persons will have as many differences in handwriting. Through the medium of form, way of handling the brush, presentation, and style, calligraphy as a work of art conveys the moral integrity, character, emotions, esthetic feelings and culture of the artist to readers affecting them by the power of appeal and the joy of beauty."
5. yes
6. because he has written and published 4 books

source 4

1. http://www.chinapage.org/callig1.html


2. Ming L. Pei


3. title of "Dr.", Webmaster, Editor
   
4. The source says, "Over the thousands of years, the style of Chinese calligraphy has evolved continually. About 213 B.C., under the famous Chin Shih Huang Ti, who perpetrated the 'burning of the books', the Prime Minister Li Szu drew up an official index of characters and unified the written form for the use of scholars. This is chuan-shu and contained more than 3,000 characters. From that time to the present, there are five major styles of calligraphy: seal script, clerical script, standard script, semi-cursive script, and cursive script."
5. yes
6. because it is a -.org website. Also, because the information is clearly stated and organized in a professional manner.

Source 3...

1. http://www.rice-paper.com/uses/calligraphy/history/han.html
2. Hou Yunsheng
3. B. A. in Chinese Literature
4. The Han dynasty was from 206 BC - 220 AD. The source also says, "“Modern” Chinese writing is thought to have begun with Han. During this period clerical script which superseded seal script as the normal script for general documents went through a radical reform. By fabricating character elements, or radicals, and reorganizing characters by these radicals, the last pictographic vestige in small seal script was eliminated and the design of Chinese written language was finalized. A overwhelming majority of clerical characters have continued into modern times. To this day, the Chinese still refer to their characters as “han zi”, or Han characters, an echo of remote glory."
5. I believe this source
6. because they provite many examples and it lists the information in clear, and in chronological order.

Source 2!?

1. http://www.rice-paper.com/uses/calligraphy/essay.html
2. Hou Yunsheng
3. B. A. in Chinese Literature
4. The source says, "Chinese calligraphy has been practically guided by its theory, which consists of pieces of essays from ancient times. Some of them are as short as few words and some of them are in lengthy chapters. Parallel to the development of the art itself, these essays can be marked off into five stages."
5. I believe this source.
6. The credentials are nice. It has supporting links that support his thought. These links include pieces of the essays themselves. It also shows some helpful pictures.

Source 1!

1. http://www.rice-paper.com/uses/calligraphy.html
2. Hou Yunsheng
3. B. A. in Chinese Literature
4. My source says "Chinese calligraphy is an Oriental tradition rooted in centuries of practice. It is an art of turning square Chinese characters into expressive images by the responsiveness of rice paper and speed and pressure of a pointed Chinese brush."
5. I believe my source.
6. Because the credentials seems to be very credible and they state facts very simply. The facts seem to be true.