Chinese script stylesChinese characters may be written using several major historical styles, which developed organically over the history of Chinese script. There are also various major regional styles associated with various modern and historical polities. StylesThe traditional model of scripts appearing suddenly in a well-defined order has been discredited by modern comparative study, which clearly indicates the gradual evolution and coexistence of styles.
Zhong YaoZhong Yao (鍾繇, 151 – April or May 230), also referred to as Zhong You, courtesy nameYuanchang (元常), was a Chinese calligrapher and politician who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of China. He served in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. His calligraphy was highly regarded as he was known as one of the Four Worthies of Calligraphy (書中四賢) in the history of Chinese calligraphy.
Ming typefacesAlternative nameTraditional Chinese宋體Simplified Chinese宋体Literal meaningSong fontKorean nameHangul명조체Hanja明朝體Japanese nameKanji明朝体KanaみんちょうたいThe Song script (simplified Chinese: 宋体; traditional Chinese: 宋體) or Ming script (simplified Chinese: 明体; traditional Chinese: 明體) is a category of serifedtypefaces used to display Chinese family of scripts such as traditional and simplifiedChinese characters as well as their borrowed (e.g. Japanesekanji and Koreanhanja) and radical-derived relatives (e.g. katakana).
Clerical scriptThe clerical script (traditional Chinese: 隸書; simplified Chinese: 隶书; pinyin: lìshū), sometimes also chancery script, is a style of Chinese writing that evolved from the late Warring States period to the Qin dynasty. It matured and became dominant in the Han dynasty, and remained in active use through the Six Dynasties period.
East Asian Gothic typefaceIn East Asian typography, gothic typefaces or "black script" (simplified Chinese: 黑体; traditional Chinese: 黑體; pinyin: hēitǐ; Jyutping: haak1 tai2; Japanese: ゴシック体, romanized: goshikku-tai; Korean: 돋움, romanized: dodum, 고딕체godik-che) are a style of typeface/font characterized by even thickness of strokes and lack of serif decorations, akin to sans serif styles in Western (Latin and Cyrillic) typography.
Northern WeiWei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (Chinese: 北魏; pinyin: Běi Wèi), Tuoba Wei (Chinese: 拓跋魏; pinyin: Tuòbá Wèi), Yuan Wei (Chinese: 元魏; pinyin: Yuán Wèi) and Later Wei (Chinese: 後魏; pinyin: Hòu Wèi), was an imperial dynasty of China ruled by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern dynasties, it ruled northern China from 386 to 535 AD during the period of the Northern and Southern dynasties.
Han dynastyImperial dynasty in China (202 BC – 220 AD)Chinese nameTraditional Chinese漢Simplified Chinese汉
Cao WeiToday part ofChinaNorth Korea
Three KingdomsThe Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from 220 to 280 AD following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the Western Jin dynasty. Academically, the periodisation begins with the establishment of Cao Wei in 220 AD and ends with the conquest of Wu by Jin in 280 AD.
Qiu XiguiQiu Xigui (simplified Chinese: 裘锡圭; traditional Chinese: 裘錫圭; Wade–Giles: Ch'iu Hsi-kuei; 13 July 1935 – 8 May 2025) was a Chinese historian, palaeographer and professor of Fudan University. His book Chinese Writing is considered the "single most influential study of Chinese palaeography".
Northern and Southern dynastiesPeriod in Chinese history from 420 to 589 Northern and Southern dynasties (420–589) Northern dynasties Southern dynasties Northern Wei 386–535 Liu Song 420–479 Southern Qi 479–502 Liang 502–557 Western Wei535–557 Eastern Wei534–550 Northern Zhou557–581 Northern Qi550–577 Chen557–589 Western Liang555–587 Northern and Southern dynastiesApproximate territories of the Northern Wei dynasty (blue) and Liu Song dynasty (red) in 440Approximate territories of the Northern Qi dynasty (dark blue), Northern Zhou dynasty (light blue), Chen dynasty (red), and Western Liang dynasty (pink) in 560Chinese南北朝TranscriptionsStandard MandarinHanyu PinyinNán běi cháoBopomofoㄋㄢˊ ㄅㄟˇ ㄔㄠˊWade–GilesNan2 pei3 ch'ao2Tongyong PinyinNán běi cháoIPA[nǎn pèɪ ʈʂʰǎʊ]Yue: CantoneseYale RomanizationNaàhm Bāk ChìuhJyutpingnaam4 bak1 ciu4IPA[nam˩ pɐk̚˥ tsʰiw˩]Southern MinTâi-lôLâm-pak-tiâu Part of a series on theHistory of China Timeline Dynasties Historiography Prehistoric Paleolithic (c. 2.43 Ma – c. 12 ka) Mesolithic (c. 10 – c. 7 ka) Neolithic (c. 8500 – c. 2000 BC) Yellow, Yangtze, and Liao civilization Ancient Xia (c. 2070 – c. 1600 BC) Shang (c. 1600 – c. 1046 BC) Late Shang (c. 1250 – c. 1046 BC) Zhou (c. 1046 – c. 256 BC) Western Zhou (c. 1046 – c. 771 BC) Eastern Zhou (c. 771 – c. 256 BC) Spring and Autumn (c. 770 – c. 476 BC) Warring States (c. 475 – c. 221 BC) Imperial Qin (221–207 BC) Han (202 BC – 220 AD) Chu–Han Contention (206–202 BC) Western Han (202 BC – 9/25 AD) Xin (9–23 AD) Eastern Han (25–220 AD) Three Kingdoms (220–280 AD) Wei, Shu Han, and Wu Jin (266–420) Western Jin (266–316) Eastern Jin (317–420) Sixteen Kingdoms (304–439) Northern andSouthern dynasties (420–589) Sui (581–618) Tang (618–907) Wu Zhou (690–705) Five Dynasties andTen Kingdoms (907–979) Song (960–1279) Northern Song (960–1127) Southern Song (1127–1279) Liao (916–1125) Western Xia (1038–1227) Jin (1115–1234) Yuan (1271–1368) Ming (1368–1644) Qing (1644–1912) Modern Republic of China (mainland, 1912–1949) People's Republicof China (1949–present) Republic of China (Taiwan,1949–present) Related articles Art history Cuisine history Economic history Education history Environmental history Jewish history Legal history LGBTQ history Media history Music history Timeline Military history before 1912 Naval history Religion in China Buddhism Christianity Daoism Islam Science and technology history Archaeology Cartography Discoveries Inventions Space Sports history Transport history Women's history vte The Northern and Southern dynasties (Chinese: 南北朝; pinyin: Nán běi cháo) was a period of political division in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589 AD, following the tumultuous era of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Eastern Jin dynasty.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.