The "Four Calligraphers of the Song Dynasty" refers to the four calligraphers Cai Xiang, Su Shi, Huang Tingjian and Mi Fu in the Northern Song Dynasty (referred to as "Su Huang Mi Cai"); some people also think that they refer to Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Cai Jinghe Mi Fu, four calligraphers.

Cai Xiang (AD 1012-1067) was a calligrapher in the early Northern Song Dynasty. He was friendly with Su Dongpo, Ouyang Xiu, etc. His upright character was praised at the time; his calligraphy was excellent, and Su Dongpo was praised as "the best in our dynasty". In his early years, he was able to learn from Yan Zhenqing and pass on Yan style. Charm. Shen Kuo's "Mengxi Bi Tan" said of him: "Using loose brush to write cursive script, it is called San Cao, or Feicao. The method is all born in Fei Bai, and it is a family of its own. Ouyang Xiu said of him: "Cai Junmo's calligraphy is exquisite in Bafen, Sanli, regular script, Xingyi, and large and small scripts." "The popular calligraphy works include "Wan'an Bridge", "Hu Cong Tie", "Si Yong Tie", "Into Spring Tie", etc., and calligraphy theories include "On Calligraphy", "Commentary", "Zi Lun Fei Bai Shu", etc. He was also an expert in tea identification. During the Qingli period of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty (1041-1049), Cai Xiang served as the transfer envoy to Fujian and was responsible for supervising the production of Beiyuan tribute tea. A classic about tea after Lu Yu's "The Book of Tea" in the Tang Dynasty. There is a biography in Volume 320 of "History of the Song Dynasty"

Su Shi (1037-1101 AD) was a calligrapher, poet and poet in the Northern Song Dynasty. , writer and politician, named Zizhan, also known as Dongpo Jushi, a native of Meishan, Sichuan. Together with his father Su Xun and his younger brother Su Zhe, he was known as the "Three Sus"; he and Ouyang Xiu led the ancient poetry movement, and together with Han Yu of the Tang Dynasty, Liu Zongyuan and Ouyang Xiu of the Song Dynasty. , Su Xun, Su Che, and Zeng Gong were collectively known as the "Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties". His political path was very bumpy, and he was promoted and demoted several times. He was proficient in calligraphy, painting, poetry, poetry, and articles. He studied calligraphy from Erwang, Yan Zhenqing, Xu Hao and Li Beihai. His calligraphy is fat and thick (Dong Qichang ridiculed it as a black pig), innocent and vigorous, with strong strokes and generous knots. His calligraphy works are among the best among the four calligraphers of the Song Dynasty. "Huangzhou Cold Food Poems", "Dark Clouds in the Sky", "Ji Dao Wen in Honor of Huang", "Red Cliff Ode", "Dongting Spring Ode", "Zhongshan Pine Mash Ode", "Taibai Fairy Poems", etc.

Huang Tingjian (AD 1045-1105) was a calligrapher and poet of the Northern Song Dynasty. His courtesy name was Lu Zhi, and he was a native of Fenning, Hongzhou (Xiushui, Jiangxi). As a poet, Wang Anshi, Ouyang Xiu, and Mei Yaochen were all distant relatives of the celebrities at that time. He, Zhang Lei, Qin Guan, and Chao Buzhi were among the "Four Scholars of the Su family". Later, because of his outstanding poetry and calligraphy, he also became like-minded with Su Dongpo. , known as "Su Huang" in the world. His poems created a school of poetry, which was later called the Jiangxi Poetry School. His calligraphy works were popularized by Zhou Yue, "痗 Crane Ming", Huai Su, Liu Gongquan and Yang Ningshi, and the running script was "Su Dongpo". "Huangzhou Cold Food Poetry Postscript", "Zhu Youzuo Tie", "Songfeng Pavilion Poetry Volume", and "Poetry to Forty-nine Nephews" are the most famous. The cursive script includes "The Biography of Lian Po Lin Xiangru"

Cai Jing. (AD 1047-1126) A calligrapher with a long character, he was born in Xianyou, Xinghua (now Xianyou, Fujian Province). He became a Jinshi in the third year of Xining (1070) and served as prime minister in three dynasties of Song Dynasty: Shenzong, Zhezong and Huizong. Later, due to the Northern Expedition and the disaster of Jingkang, he was impeached as the leader of the "six thieves", and Lingfu was exiled. He died in Dongming Temple in Tanzhou (now Changsha) and was listed in the biography of traitorous officials. Cai was friendly with Mi Fu. Xiang was his uncle. Cai Jing learned calligraphy from Cai Xiang, Xu Hao and Ouyang Xun, and later studied calligraphy with the two kings. He was a bachelor of Wen Dian and Shaobao of the School of Inspection. His posthumous title was Wenzheng. His calligraphy style was elegant and slightly exposed, similar to Cai Jing's style.

Mi Fu (AD 1051-1107) was a calligrapher, painter, calligraphy and painting theorist, and collector in the Northern Song Dynasty. . His first name was Fu, with the title of Zhang, Xiangyang Manshi, Haiyue Waishi, etc. He lived in Taiyuan, Shanxi, and later moved to Xiangyang, Hubei, known as "Mi Xiangyang", and later settled in Runzhou (now Zhenjiang, Jiangsu). During the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, he was appointed as a doctor of calligraphy and painting and a member of the Ministry of Etiquette, and was known as "Minangong" in the world. His behavior is often weird, crazy, and crazy, and he is known as "Mi Dian" in the world. His paintings and his son Mi Youren (1074-1153) created "Mi's Cloud Mountain" or "Mi's Landscape", also known as "Er Mi". Dong Qichang of the Ming Dynasty said of him: "Mi Haiyue's book never hangs down or shrinks, and never goes back. This eight-character mantra has no other mantras. However, it must be strong and new." The popular works include "Mid-Autumn Tie" , "Tiaoxi Poetry Volume", "Shu Su Tie", "On Cursive Script Tie", "Coral Tie", "Poetry of Worshiping Zhongyue Ming", "Hongxian Poetry Tie", etc. He is the author of "Baojin Yingguang Collection", "Shu Tie" "History", "History of Painting", "History of Inkstone", "History of Haiyue". His eldest son Mi Youren (1074-1153), whose courtesy name was Hui, was also good at calligraphy and painting, and appreciation of calligraphy and painting. He and Mi Fu were called Xiaomi.

The debate about whether "Cai Xiang" or "Cai Jing" among the "Four Families of the Song Dynasty" has started a long time ago. Now it is generally believed that Cai Xiang replaced Cai Jing, because Cai Jing's character was corrupt. The head of the "Six Thieves" is a character in the biography of traitorous officials in "History of the Song Dynasty". Of course there is some truth in judging art based on character, but as far as art itself is concerned, this is unfair. From this incident, including other examples, we can know that our country has always commented on moral character first, and then talents and contributions.