#LivingHeritage: Chinese calligraphy Chinese calligraphy is an artistic practice of writing Chinese characters, often with a brush and ink on "xuan" paper. The evolution of Chinese calligraphy began alongside the earliest Chinese characters discovered to date - inscriptions on oracle bones from the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC) in Anyang, Henan province. Over time, calligraphy gradually took shape as a form of art rather than a mere means of record. The five major styles of scri