The Spirit as a critical category was established in the Six Dynasties and developed into the core concept of Chinese painting theory in later times. Its philosophical premise is the development of the Tao. The artistic expression of the Spirit in the painting theory of the Six Dynasties is often interpreted as the artist’s reconstruction of external objects. The establishment of this technique originates from a special artistic philosophy about the relationship between internal implication and external expression. In the painting theory of the Six Dynasties

the Tao uses ink as the medium

and demonstrates its wonderful characteristics through the magical process of making the Spirit become reality. The technique of conveying the Spirit is based on reflecting the invisibility of the Tao through static ink symbols

and reflecting the supreme image of the Tao through unlikeness. The thinking produced by the painter’s psychological processing is also the result of him being mediated by the Tao. As a result

ink symbols acquire the intrinsic vitality of “conveying the Spirit through the portrayal of reality” and “charm of vividness” because of the painter’s thinking

and thus turn into ideal reality containing the Tao.