Here are three kinds of forms of Chinese art.
Calligraphy(书法) | The ancient Chinese thought of writing as an important form of art. Calligraphy is a popular form of writing. To produce Chinese characters one needs a brush, paper, inkstick (墨) and inkstone. These are called the "Four Treasures of the Study". It's necessary to learn these tools in order to learn calligraphy. |
Poetry | It was an important part of art. Li Bai, Du Fu and Su Shi are considered among the best ancient poets, and there are five major kinds of ancient poetic styles called Shi, Ci, Ge, Qu and Fu. During the Tang Dynasty, poetry became so important that writing poetry was part of the examinations to work for the government. |
Opera | Chinese opera is considered as one of the three oldest dramatic art forms in the world. It's a combination of music, art and literature. During the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong set up an opera school. |