Development Activity One: School Principal’s Calligraphy Class
1. Activity background:
Calligraphy classes for grades 1-4 students were launched at Chingsau Elementary School in the 2013 academic year and professional teachers were hired to lecture the classes. Two calligraphy clubs were set up to welcome students to sharpen their Chinese calligraphy skills. A classroom entitled “Jing Sih Chamber” was especially arranged for the calligraphy club. Our Class 503 students were the luckiest because we had the opportunity to participate in the calligraphy classes thanks to “Cyberfair”.
2. Activity date and venue:
Date: September 17 and 24, 2013
Venue: Jing Sih Chamber
Calligraphy classes for grades 1-4 students were launched at Chingsau Elementary School in the 2013 academic year and professional teachers were hired to lecture the classes. Two calligraphy clubs were set up to welcome students to sharpen their Chinese calligraphy skills. A classroom entitled “Jing Sih Chamber” was especially arranged for the calligraphy club. Our Class 503 students were the luckiest because we had the opportunity to participate in the calligraphy classes thanks to “Cyberfair”.
2. Activity date and venue:
Date: September 17 and 24, 2013
Venue: Jing Sih Chamber
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3. Activity content:
In the following two weeks, we had one calligraphy class every week, where skilled Principal Huang Jung-sen introduced Chinese calligraphy in the five major styles: seal script (jhuanshu), clerical script (lishu), regular script (kaishu), semi-cursive script (singshu), and cursive script (caoshu), the calligraphy classroom “Jing Sih Chamber”, and how to use ink brush, ink stick, paper and ink slab, which were the four traditional tools for Chinese calligraphy and paintings.
In the following two weeks, we had one calligraphy class every week, where skilled Principal Huang Jung-sen introduced Chinese calligraphy in the five major styles: seal script (jhuanshu), clerical script (lishu), regular script (kaishu), semi-cursive script (singshu), and cursive script (caoshu), the calligraphy classroom “Jing Sih Chamber”, and how to use ink brush, ink stick, paper and ink slab, which were the four traditional tools for Chinese calligraphy and paintings.
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4. Afterthoughts
Sitting in lines on the ground at the first calligraphy class allowed us to have a close look at Principal Huang and realized he had a slim body shape! Speaking in a neither too fast nor too slow speed, Principal Huang used Chinese four-word idioms and intriguing stories as analogies to explain to us the evolution of Chinese characters. Through this class we learned the historical background of oracle bone script (Chinese: 甲骨文; pinyin: jiaguwun; literally "shell bone writing") and bronze vessel inscription (Chinese: 金文; pinyin: jinwun) as well as how to tell distinguish genuine Chinese calligraphic works from works transferred from stones with stone rubbing techniques.
At the second class, Principal Huang demonstrated Chinese calligraphy in public with teachers and students as surrounding spectators. We tried to secure a good spot to have a close look at principal Huang’s stunning performance. We only saw that he gently dipped his brush into the ink and had some marvelous maneuvers on the paper before the two Chinese characters “靜修” (pingyin: jingsiou) came to life in the five major styles of Chinese calligraphy: seal script, clerical script, regular script, semi-cursive script, and cursive script. Seeing different looks and impression made by Chinese characters in different styles, we were amazed by the variations of calligraphy, as well as the principal’s magical hands and brushes in creating an array of strikingly different yet equally engaging calligraphic characters with distinctive characteristics. We were amazed that the beauty of Chinese characters was achieved in the formation of every single brush stroke. We also believed that our principal must have invested a great deal of time and efforts into the art of Chinese calligraphy.
Sitting in lines on the ground at the first calligraphy class allowed us to have a close look at Principal Huang and realized he had a slim body shape! Speaking in a neither too fast nor too slow speed, Principal Huang used Chinese four-word idioms and intriguing stories as analogies to explain to us the evolution of Chinese characters. Through this class we learned the historical background of oracle bone script (Chinese: 甲骨文; pinyin: jiaguwun; literally "shell bone writing") and bronze vessel inscription (Chinese: 金文; pinyin: jinwun) as well as how to tell distinguish genuine Chinese calligraphic works from works transferred from stones with stone rubbing techniques.
At the second class, Principal Huang demonstrated Chinese calligraphy in public with teachers and students as surrounding spectators. We tried to secure a good spot to have a close look at principal Huang’s stunning performance. We only saw that he gently dipped his brush into the ink and had some marvelous maneuvers on the paper before the two Chinese characters “靜修” (pingyin: jingsiou) came to life in the five major styles of Chinese calligraphy: seal script, clerical script, regular script, semi-cursive script, and cursive script. Seeing different looks and impression made by Chinese characters in different styles, we were amazed by the variations of calligraphy, as well as the principal’s magical hands and brushes in creating an array of strikingly different yet equally engaging calligraphic characters with distinctive characteristics. We were amazed that the beauty of Chinese characters was achieved in the formation of every single brush stroke. We also believed that our principal must have invested a great deal of time and efforts into the art of Chinese calligraphy.
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