Shanghai, 28 Jan (Xinhua) -- Zhang Guoen, 65, is a member of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and a well-known calligrapher and painter. In the two years since the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, he has created a large number of traditional Chinese paintings and calligraphy that praise China's fight against the epidemic and the mutual help of Chinese and foreign countries.
On the occasion of the Spring Festival of the Year of the Tiger in the Lunar Calendar, he wrote 2,000 "Fu" characters in the style of stone drums, with red Chinese knots and diamond-shaped outer frames, framed into hanging artworks with outer squares and inner circles, and presented them to Chinese and foreign people who contributed to the fight against the epidemic and economic and social recovery.
Zhang Guoen wrote the word "Fu" for calligraphy enthusiasts. Images courtesy of respondents
Walking into Zhang Guoen's home in Hangtou Town, Pudong New Area, the desk and floor of the study are full of freshly written "Fu" characters, and the air is filled with a strong ink fragrance.
"Shigu wen is an engraved stone script in the pre-Qin period, which has a history of more than 2,000 years. Writing the 'Fu' character in the style of Shigu wen is not only to express the Chinese's wish for happiness and auspiciousness in ancient calligraphy, but also to arouse more people's attention to traditional Chinese culture, attract more people to invest in it, and feel the inner true feelings of Chinese through traditional calligraphy. Zhang Guoen said.
In Zhang Guoen's view, a simple "fu" word, in addition to the literal meanings of "happiness", "good luck", "blessing", "blessing", "blessing", etc., there are also extended meanings such as "Kangning" and "Dehou". Writing with traditional calligraphy forms a unique artistic expression in the world, showing the unique ethics and feelings of Chinese, and is also a window for the world to observe and understand Chinese culture.
"Learning calligraphy must pay attention to the rules, first of all, you need to correct the posture of sitting and holding the pen. The heart is right, the person is right, the pen is right, the word is right, and vice versa. Throw yourself into it, write it well, and the person will do it well. Writing the word 'Fu' on the occasion of resignation and new welcome requires a pious heart and a warm heart, so that the recipient can feel the sincerity and good blessings contained in the word 'Fu'. Zhang Guoen said.
Zhang Guoen writes and displays the word "Fu". Images courtesy of respondents
At present, all parts of China are guarding the safety and health of the people under the background of strict epidemic prevention and welcoming the Lunar New Year.
"As the Spring Festival approaches, almost every family in China is writing the word 'Fu' and posting and hanging the word 'Fu', and the Winter Olympics is also a big 'Fu' character that China has given to the world." Zhang Guoen said.
As a member of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Zhang Guoen recently collaborated with several CPPCC colleagues to investigate the current state of higher education in traditional calligraphy. The survey found that today, 141 colleges and universities across the country have set up undergraduate majors in calligraphy, and the number of colleges and universities that have declared related majors has increased year by year.
The survey shows that in the context of the education authorities' strong advocacy of "calligraphy into the classroom", if the third to sixth grades of primary schools take a calligraphy class every week, at least 30 full-time calligraphy teachers are needed in one district of Shanghai alone, while the total number of full-time calligraphy teachers in the 16 districts of the city is currently less than 80, and there is great potential for the development of higher education in calligraphy.
"Traditional calligraphy is the national symbol that best represents China. In 2009, Chinese calligraphy was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. I hope that in the future, higher education in calligraphy can cultivate more outstanding talents and promote the standardization of calligraphy education for young people across the country. Using calligraphy to shape a beautiful soul, thereby enhancing the cultural self-confidence and national soft power of the Chinese, and also allowing the world to better understand and understand China. Zhang Guoen said.