Caotang zhi ling 草堂之靈

Caotang zhi ling 草堂之靈 "The spirit of the Grass-[Hut] Hall" is a book on calligraphy written during the Republican period by Yang Jun 楊鈞 (1881-1940), courtesy name Zhongzi 重子, style Baixin 白心, Paweng 怕翁 or Wuli Xiansheng 五里先生, from Xiangtan 湘潭, Hunan.

The book of 16 juan was first published in 1985 by the Yuelu Shushe 岳麓書社. The Studio name of Yang Jun was Baixin Caotang 白心草堂. The literary products of this Studio include the poetry collection Baixin Caotang shiji 白心草堂詩集 and a book on inscriptions, calligraphies, and paintings, Baixin Caoting jinshi shuhua 白心草堂金石書畫.

The Caotang zhi ling is written in the style of reading notes. It covers a wide range of topics, comprising 258 entries. In addition to discussions on poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal engraving, it includes various musings and miscellaneous knowledge. Each entry is approximately 200 to 300 characters long and rich in content. The notes primarily discuss the art of calligraphy, covering topics such as techniques, critical analysis of inscriptions and stele rubbings, anecdotes about calligraphers, and personal insights from calligraphic practice. It offers many valuable discussions and presents a unique perspective, forming a distinctive voice in the field.