"The Sage of Calligraphy" Wang Xizhi's Hometown

During the Yonghe period of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the great calligrapher Wang Xizhi served as the General of the Right Army and the Administrator of Kuaiji, leaving many relics and legends in Shaoxing. There is the Tishan Bridge, where he painted fan surfaces for an old woman (originally built before the Jiatai period of the Southern Song Dynasty, rebuilt at the original site in the eighth year of the Daoguang reign in the Qing Dynasty); the Duopo Alley, where he avoided the old woman's repeated requests for paintings; the Jiezhu Lecture Temple, which was converted from his residence into a temple; the Ink Pool, where he washed his brushes and inkstones; and the Lin'e Pool, where he drank wine, composed poetry, and played with geese with his friend Xie An and others. It is said that one day, while walking by the pool with friends and engaging in the "flowing cup along the winding water" game, just as he was about to splash ink and write, a spirit goose suddenly let out a long cry, preened its feathers, and swam like flowing clouds and water. The General of the Right Army suddenly had an epiphany, ultimately mastering the art of calligraphy and being honored by later generations as the "Sage of Calligraphy."

This is also the birthplace of educator Cai Yuanpei. Cai passed the county-level imperial examination at 17, the provincial-level examination at 23, and the metropolitan-level examination at 26. He was appointed a Bachelor of the Hanlin Academy and later an Editor of the Hanlin Academy at 28, truly a warrior-level academic prodigy.

Shaoxing has developed the cultural district of the Sage of Calligraphy’s Hometown around the relics related to these two famous figures. In addition to the above attractions, there are also the Shangde Pawnshop founded in 1903, the Shaoxing Money Guild Hall, Jifang Bridge, and Jishan Park.

Transportation: 1.5 km from Shaoxing Station, 20 minutes on foot; 16 km from Shaoxing North Station, 20 minutes by taxi, about 1 hour by subway.

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, all day, free of charge.

Post by jone_456_Mitchell | Aug 22, 2025