Calligrapher  Liu Gongquan (柳公权,778-865) courtesy name Chengxuan (诚悬).He and Yan Zhenqing (颜真卿) as the two great masters of the late Tang era.Liu was born in Jingzhao Huayuan(Now Shaanxi province), He was a devout Buddhist .

He first learned the handwriting of Wang Xizhi. As he read more calligraphic books closer to his time, he switched to follow Yan Zhengqing's style and blended into it his own creative style - a simplifiedregular script.

Liu Gongquan also became an expert of the Regular Script like Yan, Liu, Liu's works were imitated for centuries and he is often referred in unison with his famed predecessor as "Yan-Liu". Liu’s characters are thinner than that of Yan. Their calligraphy pieces are known as “Yan’s tendons and Liu’s bones” (颜筋柳骨). This expression is commonly used to praise well-written Regular Scripts.

 Besides calligraphy, Liu Gongquan also like philosophy.He study Confucianism,and Zhang zi.He also like music.He think philosophy and music can improve his calligraphy.

Liu Gongquan served in many government official posts for seven emperors, and died a teacher of a prince at age 88. He left a great many calligraphic works, and the most famous ones are Xuanmita (Mysterious Pagoda) Stele(玄秘塔碑)