Iqbal Nisa from Pakistan, a Ph.D. student in chemistry and environmental engineering at Shenzhen University, was baffled with writing Chinese characters when she came to the city five months ago. But she became confident after attending the Calligraphy Appreciation and Experience activity organized by the Shekou Management and Service Center for Expats on Sunday.
“Chinese calligraphy is a visual art and the lecture given by the teacher is very instructive and enjoyable. If you know the meaning behind the Chinese character, you can learn it easily,” Nisa said at an interview yesterday.
Her view was echoed by Abdulkadir Zakari Abdulkadir from Nigeria.
“The event was very nice and interesting. I really enjoyed it, and I was able to experience another way of teaching Chinese culture. We understood and learned how to write pretty fast,” he told Shenzhen Daily.
The lecture Nisa mentioned was given by Fu Lichang, founder of Fushi Calligraphy and Painting Education, at the library of China Everbright Bank Houhai Branch.
He gave an overview of Chinese calligraphy, delving into its origins, diverse styles, intricate steps, essential skills, and the profound connotations embedded in the traditional art form.
More than 30 Chinese and foreign residents were immersed in listening to the class and practicing Chinese calligraphy.
“Practice is better than theory and makes perfect,” Fu said. The training then went into practice after Fu explained the basics of holding and moving the brush, and demonstrated writing techniques.
“This is the Chinese character ‘Fu’ (福), and we will finish it in a single stroke. It represents happiness and good fortune,” he said.
Soon after he demonstrated how to write the character, the participants held their brushes and started to work on their calligraphy.
The activity, co-organized by Fushi Calligraphy and Painting Education, was one of a series of activities organized by the Shekou Management and Service Center for Expats for the ongoing 24th Shenzhen Reading Month.
According to Yang Yan, director of the center, the activities included inviting book lovers from China, Italy, Iran, Switzerland and other countries to share the fun of reading literary works, and learning Chinese calligraphy and culture.
These activities have enriched the cultural life of Chinese and foreign residents, deepened cultural exchanges, and created a platform for meaningful communication among diverse communities, according to Yang.