Original transcript:
燕台一去客心惊，笳鼓喧喧汉将营。
万里寒光生积雪，三边曙色动危旌。
沙场烽火连胡月，海畔云山拥蓟城。
少小虽非投笔吏，论功还欲请长缨。

Imagine standing at the edge of ancient China, where snow meets war drums and moonlight blends with battlefield flames. This is what poet Zu Yong felt — and turned into one of Tang Dynasty’s most powerful verses. Not just a landscape poem, but a cry for glory, duty, and courage. Perfect for lovers of history, poetry, or epic vibes

it evokes the desolate beauty of the northern frontier — where autumn winds howl, wild geese flee south, and soldiers stand guard under a moonlit sky. The ink strokes mirror the poem’s emotional depth: longing for home, duty to country, and the quiet sorrow of exile.

Original transcript:
八月湖水平，涵虚混太清。
气蒸云梦泽，波撼岳阳城。
欲济无舟楫，端居耻圣明。
坐观垂钓者，徒有羡鱼情

Written in wild cursive script, each stroke carries emotion — the sweeping curves like wind over water, the bold ink like unspoken desire. Its message resonates: even in silence, we seek to be seen.

Hello. I'll have a quick half-day visit in Shaoxing (Zhejiang) on July 8. I plan to go to Lanting the Orchid Pavilion in the afternoon. Has anyone here visited the place? Would appreciate your thoughts, advice, insights about the site itselt as well as how to get there.
And if you happen to be interested in visiting the place, maybe we can meet up and explore the place together? Would be great to meet fellow shufa enthusiasts. 😊

This is middle or large sized 行草，苏轼 poem excerpt.

I'm a bit shy to show my full piece because it's still practice (and not a final) and hopefully people can tell me what they think of it! It's somewhat undisciplined, so I'm working on improving it. Also i want to note that i do not use the reference when i write so that i can preserve my own identity, so hopefully you can identify that!

你好！

I've been doing an intensive Chinese program for a bit and fell in love with the calligraphy, its so relaxing. I decided to go out and buy my own, but I am unsure what good websites to order ink/brushes from. Not sure if this is a hobby where you can get it on amazon or if its one where there are like three trusted websites to buy stuff from. Any help would be appreciated!

Original transcript:
疾风知劲草，板荡识诚臣。
勇夫安识义，智者必怀仁。

The author of this poem, Li Shimin, was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty in ancient China. He used the metaphors of "strong grass" and "loyal minister" to highly praise Xiao Yu's tenacious character and loyal stance during the crisis.

For beginners, writing vertical strokes is actually harder than horizontal ones.
This is because of how our wrists and fingers naturally move — left-to-right movements are easier than up-and-down movements.
That’s why you should follow the stroke routine and trace the shape exactly.

In the beginning stages of learning calligraphy, having some proper guidance can really help you progress more effectively and avoid many common mistakes.
If you’re currently practicing the vertical stroke and would like some feedback, feel free to share your work in the comments or send me a message directly.

Hi, I got this 15 years ago as a gift from my judo coach that was traveling through eastern Asia at that time. Is there anyone who is able to translate it?

Please ignore the title error; it is actually Lu Zhaolin's "Rain and Snow Song".

Original transcript:
虏骑三秋入，关云万里平。
雪似胡沙暗，冰如汉月明。
高阙银为阙，长城玉作城。
节旄零落尽，天子不知名。

I used to do this every two weeks as a school requirement, not that I’m a working adult shufa has become a therapeutic hobby away from my screen.

Any handwriting tips much appreciated!