Cause & Context
Following the aristocratic migration south to Kuaiji (Shaoxing), literati immersed themselves in the verdant southern landscape, integrating Daoist nature appreciation with poetic sensitivity.
Epochal Overview
On the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month in 353 CE, Wang Xizhi and 41 scholars gathered at the Orchid Pavilion for the winding stream poetry ritual; Wang composed and spontaneously penned the 324-character *Lantingji Xu*.
Key Figures
Wang Xizhi (revered as the 'Sage of Calligraphy') composed the masterwork alongside statesman Xie An and pioneer landscape poet Sun Chuo.
Civilizational Impact
Revered as the 'paramount Running Script under Heaven', *Lantingji Xu* elevated calligraphy into China's paramount fine art and founded the literati landscape poetry tradition.