A scene from Serenade of Peaceful Joy features the Fei Bai Shu written by Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty. [Photo/douban.com]

Song calligraphy

Along with poetry, calligraphy in Chinese culture is an important means for personal and creative expression. Overshadowing painting, it is also hailed as the supreme visual art form in Chinese culture.

By absorbing merits of legendary calligraphers from earlier times, famed Song calligraphers including Su Shi (1037-1101), Huang Tingjian (1045-1105), Mi Fu (1051-1107) and also Emperor Huizong, invented their own styles, widely imitated by calligraphy buffs even today.

In the drama, Emperor Renzong is keen on practicing calligraphy and excels at the lesser-known but rather characteristic calligraphy style called Fei Bai Shu, aka Flying White, which requires a flat painting brush. As its name suggests, this style places an emphasis on the moving force of the brush and the abundance of the streaks of white within strokes.

A poster for Serenade of Peaceful Joy features a calligraphy piece as the backdrop. [Photo/douban.com]