Spiritual Flight Sutra [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org]

Recording a sacred Daoism text, the sutra is a means of propagating the faith, and an excellent Chinese calligraphy work.

It is said that the sutra was copied by Princess Yuzhen, a daughter of Emperor Xuanzong, or written by Zhong Shaojing, a noted calligrapher of the same period. According to scholars, the work was probably finished in 738. It exemplifies the sophisticated court style of the High Tang period. The small script is balanced and harmonious, with every hook, stroke, and dot perfectly defined and executed.