Female calligraphers put their work on display in Beijing

The Culture Palace of Ethnic Groups, in Beijing, put on a calligraphy exhibition of the works of 155 female calligraphers from 19 countries, on Aug 17, with four calligraphers from Gansu province included.

The works on display come in various types, including cursive script, seal characters, and official script, a classical style from the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), as well as other forms of writing, such as Korean.

The exhibition is the work of the China Calligraphers Association and the Longnan city government, in Gansu province, and is a themed part of the larger 7th Longnan Qiqiao Girl's Festival, a traditional celebration of Longnan area, which encourages the self-esteem, confidence and independence of women.

The festival is also one of the first state-level non-material cultural heritage items and, according to Zhang Gaiqin, vice-chairman of China Calligraphers Association, who addressed the opening ceremony of the exhibition, "The calligraphy exhibition is an opportunity for female calligraphers from different countries to communicate and to publicizes Qiqiao culture at the same time."

Edited by Roger Bradshaw