During my one week field trip of Xi’an, Forest of Steles is the most impressive place. I saw many Chinese ancient fonts in that place, they make me very interested in. So I decided to make a set of font illustrations for a specific font.

Those inscriptions which are relatively stable of a certain format are selected because they describe specific professional conception like geographic name and clan. These characters are regarded as names for dynasties. Xi’an had gone through thirteen different dynasties. Eight among them were original while others like Post-Qin and North-Zhou derived their names from the former influential kingdoms. These copiers are set aside. For these eight original ones, their names represent their ethnic features. Beside the characters, brief explanations are attached including the original meaning and purpose of selection. For instance, “汉”was chosen at the first place because Liu Bang believed it an auspicious place for the establishment of “Han” dynasty. Eventually it becomes the name for the strongest nation and only seconds to “华”in the ancient times. Hence characters are no longer merely the symbols of culture or politics. As time passes by, they are integrated into the deepest soul of a nation.


周 “Zhou” dynasty

秦 “Qin” dynasty

汉 “Han” dynasty

新 “Xin” dynasty

魏 “Wei” dynasty

晋 “Jin” dynasty

隋 “Sui” dynasty
