Legends of Wang Xizhi

The legends circulate mainly through eastern Zhejiang, centred on old Shanyin (today's Shaoxing). Wang Xizhi lived in Kuaiji for over a decade, easing the people's burdens and opening granaries in famine, and his deeds were woven into tales passed down for generations. They entered the third national ICH list in 2011 (item I-100).

The stories span Wang's pursuit of calligraphy, his free-spirited character, his love of landscape and his care for the people; many became the source of well-known idioms, and sites like the Orchid Pavilion, Goose Pond and Inkstone Pond all anchor the tales.

The legends carry humanistic, historical, educational and folkloric value, exemplifying how Shaoxing's calligraphy heritage fused with oral tradition, and offering rich material for the study of Jin-dynasty literati and Jiangnan custom.

The Orchid Pavilion area is where the legends of Wang Xizhi are most densely rooted.