The plaque of “Yuqing”

The plaque of “Yuqing”

One of the plaques is hung under the eaves in the front of Yuqing Building, with the inscription reading “Written by the Prince of Hengyang” and a seal reading “The Imperial Clan of the Ming”. The cursive script, painted in gold against a blue background, follows the tradition of the noted calligraphers Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi in the structure, yet exhibits a bold, unrestrained and forceful style that would challenge the prevailing secretariat style at the time. The other board is hung on internal wall of the corridor on the second floor of Yuqing Building. The inscription reads “Autumn of Ji-Hai Year of GuangxuPeriod” on the top, and “Written by Prince of the Second Rank” (with a seal). The regular gold script in a red background looks just 'regular' without any characteristics. Under the deep influence of the secretariat style in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. However, the calligrapher seemed to learn from many schools and maintained a structure somewhere between the styles of Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan, with a touch of charms from Zhao Mengfu of Yuan and Dong Qichang of Ming. “Yuqing” refers to the legacy to children and future generations. It also suggests good deeds and charity to bring benefits to the posterity.