Liu Gongquan's regular script "Mysterious Pagoda Stele"
Liu Gongquan (778-865), courtesy name Chengxuan, was born in Huayuan, Jingzhao (now Yaoxian County, Shaanxi Province). He was fond of learning when he was young, and was able to write poems at the age of twelve. Because he was good at calligraphy, he was favored by Emperor Mu Zong Li Heng and was called to be a bachelor of calligraphy in the Hanlin Academy. Liu Gongquan's calligraphy is best done in regular script. He followed the calligraphy of Wei and Jin, and followed the calligraphy of other calligraphers in the early Tang Dynasty. He was also influenced by Yan Zhenqing, and formed his own style between the Jin people's charm and Yan's calligraphy. Its charming and vigorous calligraphy can be compared with the vigorous and generous style of Yan's calligraphy, and it was praised by later generations as "Yan's sinews and willow bones".
The "Mysterious Pagoda Stele" was erected in memory of a generation of eminent monk Duanfu. The stele was erected in the first year of Huichang (841) of Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty. It was written by Prime Minister Pei Xiu and Liu Gongquan wrote the elixir. The stele is in the Stele Forest in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. Liu Gongquan was sixty-four years old at the time, and it was a mature work in his later years. Liu Xizai's "Art Summary" states: "Liu Shu's "Mysterious Tower" comes from Yan Zhenqing's "Guo Family Temple". Wang Shizhen said: "Liu Faqiu is charming and strong, comparable to Yan Situ."
