In the Tang dynasty, calligraphy was an essential evaluation criterion in the mandarin examinations, and they had an official called the shuxue boshi (" master of calligraphy "). In the Ming dynasty, they put an even greater emphasis on calligraphy. There were even some imperial examiners who determined whether candidates passed their tests only by judging the calligraphy, and not the contents.
到了明朝對書法更加重視，甚至有主考官「以字取人」，光看字體是否秀麗工整，不問內容。