Born in Langya Commandery (in present-day Linyi, Shandong), Wang fled to southern China in his childhood after the collapse of the Western Jin dynasty.

There, the participants took part in a "winding stream party" and Wang composed the Lantingji xu, a preface to the collection of poems that were written that day.

In particular, Emperor Taizong of Tang established Wang and his style as the defining standard for Chinese calligraphy by requiring that the imperial court scholars study his techniques and employing calligraphers to make handwritten tracing copies and ink rubbings of his works.

Wang's artistic talent continues to be held in high esteem, and he remains an influential figure in East Asian calligraphy.

Much of what is known about Wang Xizhi's life is derived from letters that he wrote during his lifetime and historical texts such as the Shishuo xinyu (世說新語) and the Jin shu (晉書).

[4] The work was commissioned in the 7th century by Emperor Taizong of Tang, who personally wrote a postscript to Wang's biography declaring him the greatest calligrapher in history.

[7][8] Xiaofei Tian, a scholar of Chinese literature, writes that the compilers of the Shishuo Xinyu, in an attempt to evoke feelings of nostalgia, were often "willing to sacrifice historical accuracy for the sake of a good story".

[9] Matthew V. Wells suggests that Emperor Taizong's unusual degree of involvement in the compilation of the Jin shu may have been motivated by a desire to create a pro-imperial work and revise the presentation of historical events for his own purposes.

[23][24] In a well-known anecdote from the Shishuo xinyu and the Jin shu, Xi Jian sent an emissary to Wang Dao's household to find a suitable husband for his daughter.

While the other young men flaunted themselves in fine clothing, an indifferent Wang Xizhi arrived late and sprawled across a bed, with his robes open and belly exposed due to the heat.

After declining several offers from Wang Dao to serve in the Department of Personnel, he became the regional inspector of Jiangzhou (near present-day Huangmei County, Hubei) and received the title of "General Who Brings Repose to the Distance" c. 342.

[17][32] On 22 April 353, Wang hosted 41 of his friends, relatives, and pupils at the Orchid Pavilion on Mount Kuaiji for the Double Third Festival, which was celebrated annually on the third day of the third month of the Chinese calendar.

[33] Originating as a spring purification ritual, the festival became popular among scholars who gathered each year to discuss philosophical topics, compose poetry, and drink rice wine.

[34][35] Wang's gathering included six of his sons (Xuanzhi, Ningzhi, Huanzhi, Suzhi, Huizhi, and Xianzhi), as well as Xie An, Sun Chuo, and the Buddhist monk Zhi Dun.

[38] It has been depicted in numerous works of art and literature, and features as a prominent theme in paintings from the Song and Ming dynasties in China and the Edo period in Japan.

[46] He regularly collected medicinal herbs that were believed to grant longevity, and together with his brother-in-law Xi Yin, he practiced bigu (abstinence from cereals).

[52] He sought out many treatments and therapies such as acupuncture, moxibustion, and various medicinal substances, including the psychoactive and toxic Cold-Food Powder which may have exacerbated his symptoms.

Some modern scholarship has suggested that he may have been actually buried in Jiankang (present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu), the capital of the Eastern Jin, alongside other members of his family.

Another early collector, Duke Hui, was tricked by dealers who soaked forgeries in dirty water to make them appear older and then sold them as originals.

[57] Emperor Taizong of Tang, a great admirer of Wang, amassed a collection of over 2,000 of his works (including originals and copies) and required that the imperial court scholars study his calligraphic techniques.

Around this time, the "Dingwu stone", an engraving of the Lantingji xu made by Ouyang Xun and widely considered to be most faithful to the original, was discovered in the Hebei province.

[69] His calligraphy also contains traces of patterns found in the early seal script (zhuanshu) style, according to an analysis by Dong Qichang, an art theorist and calligrapher of the Ming dynasty who studied the stylistic effects of the brush tip in Wang's works.

[72] A hallmark of Wang's calligraphy, according to the art historian Robert E. Harrist Jr., is the presence of "brushstrokes that are carefully formed and create a sense of disciplined energy flowing down the page", even for text that appears to have been rapidly written.

He regularly experimented with varying the speed and direction of the brush, resulting in distinctive visual characteristics in different instances of recurring strokes.

[70] In the Lantingji xu, for instance, characters that are repeated have different visual forms, creating a sense of spontaneity that reflects the scene during which it was written.

[75] Ledderose observes that the works attributed to Wang vary widely in style, precision, and balance, making a "correct assessment of his personal contribution quite difficult".

[91] During the 1960s, the question of the Lantingji xu's authenticity was revived by Guo Moruo, the chairman of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

Guo published an article in 1965 rejecting Wang's authorship based on the recent discovery of tombs from the Jin dynasty whose inscriptions were written in clerical script.

Guo also presented the argument that portions of the Lantingji xu, which somberly reflect on the transience of life, were inconsistent with the celebratory nature of the Orchid Pavilion Gathering.

[103] According to an anecdote from the Jin shu, Wang once received ten live geese in exchange for transcribing two chapters from the Tao Te Ching, a foundational Taoist text.