书法是中国的一门传统艺术，和中国古画一样在中国历史上占有同样重要的意义。王羲之便是中国历史上最伟大的书法家之一。王羲之故居位于临沂市兰山区洗砚池街，为古典园林式建筑，占地约5亩。传说，王羲之幼年时刻苦练字后即到池中洗刷砚台，长时间后以至于池水呈墨色，于是人们名曰“洗砚池”。
Calligraphy is regareded in china as the art of writing,beautiful handwriting with brush, or study of the rule and techniques of this art.
As a traditional art, calligraphy occupies the same position as painting in the history of Chinese art.
In China, many people can write a good hand but only a few of them could become calligrapher. It takes paintaking effort and years of assidicous practice to qualify oneself as an artist in this field. One of the great masters in calligraphy in chinese history is WangXiZhi, he has exerted profound influence on Chinese calligraphers and scholars.
Today we will visit his Former Residence WangXi Zhi is an outstanding calligrapher, he was versed in nearly all kinds of styles of calligraphy. His work the preface of LanTing Poems Collection written in running hand is esteemed as the best running hand work in the world. His wonderful calligraphy has long shocked and is admired by calligraphers of all ages.
Lets go inside the main gate. This pool is the inkstone rinsing pool, covering an area of 3000 square meters, why we call it inkstone rinsing
Pool?There is a story of WangXiZhi, it says that when he was a child he blackened all the water of a pond in front of his house by washing his writing implements every day after practice.
The characters are 洗砚池 .About 10 meters north of the pool is a flatled towering 2 meters above the ground and covering an area of 150 square meters.called Drying Terrace, for drying their writtings in the sun.The west part is the 100 meter long calligraphy corrider, displaying handwritings of famous calligraphers in China.If you are interested in calligraphy, you can have a look and pratice by yourself.
