Recently, in celebration of World Book Day and United Nations Chinese Language Day, NEFU’s School of International Exchange and the campus library jointly organized a cultural event for international students. This included a traditional Chinese calligraphy class and visiting a Chinese-foreign book exhibition.

The session began with library educator Xiu Wenju elucidating Chinese calligraphy's evolution, distinctive styles, and compositional techniques. Very practically, Xiu meticulously demonstrated the traditional five-finger grip used in calligraphy. The students, keen to immerse themselves, promptly began practicing. They faced challenges transitioning from basic brush strokes to emulating complete characters, but under the careful coaching of their instructor, they gradually mastered the technique. As they became more adept, they penned phrases such as “World Book Day” and “I Love China” on rice paper, creating personalized calligraphy art.

Marina, a master’s degree student from Russia, shared her enthusiasm during the session: “I’ve always been passionate about Chinese and intrigued by its characters. I used to view writing solely as documentation until I arrived in China. I discovered that calligraphy also captures essence and motion, conveying diverse emotions such as natural grace, precision, and freedom.” Her curiosity and eagerness to learn were evident, reflecting the engagement of all the students in the session.

After the workshop, the students explored the bilingual book exhibition on Library A’s second floor. The exhibition boasted an impressive collection, including titles that have won the Mao Dun Literary Award and the Nobel Prize in Literature, over a thousand bestsellers in Chinese, and a wide range of academic texts in foreign languages covering agriculture, engineering, and biosciences. After the event, the students planned to return to the library to delve deeper into the books that piqued their interest.

Exploring books and discovering beauty through characters, the experience of traditional Chinese calligraphy and the book exhibition showcased the distinctive charm of Eastern culture through the blending and clashing of cultures. It also significantly deepened the international students' understanding of China and its rich cultural heritage, contributing to the substantive development of the university’s education for international students in China. The event was a transformative experience, leaving the students feeling enlightened and enriched.