Biyi zan 筆意讚

Biyi zan 筆意讚 is a eulogy on calligraphy believed to have been written by Wang Sengqian 王僧虔 (425–485) during the Southern Dynasties period 南朝 (420-589). Wang also wrote a theoretical text on calligraphy, Lunshu 論書.

Although the entire text is just over 130 characters long, it comprehensively expounds the main principles of the exquisite way of calligraphy. It can be called a masterpiece among the early calligraphy treatises in China. It is a representative work enumerating the achievements in calligraphy from the Wei 曹魏 (220-265) and Jin 晉 (265-420) periods to the Southern Dynasties.

The eulogy first elucidates the aesthetic essence of the art of calligraphy, asserting that the true nature of calligraphy lies primarily in its spirit and vitality, with form and substance being secondary. To achieve artistic excellence that combines both spirit and form is difficult to achieve, hard to attain, and challenging to accomplish. But as long as one masters the correct approach to studying calligraphy—"letting the mind forget the brush, and the hand forget the writing, with the mind and hand expressing emotion" (xin wang yu bi, shou wang yu shu, xin shou da qing 心忘於筆，手忘於書，心手達情)—the calligrapher will understand the intention behind the brushstrokes, and master the techniques, imbuing the work with emotion and meaning. One will then eventually "inherit the [wisdom] of the ancients" and "manifest it after thorough examination".

The text is found in the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書, Shugu congchao 述古叢鈔, Cangxiutang congshu 藏修堂叢書, Cuilangganguan congshu 翠琅玕館叢書, Yishu congshu 藝術叢書, Yuyuan congshu 芋園叢書, the book Shuyuan jinghua 書苑精華, and in the modern series Lidai shufa lunwen xuan 歷代書法論文選.