Inspired by the striking ink characters set on milky rice paper? The first place to start is by getting yourself a calligraphy brush, one of the four treasures of the study room. Calligraphy writing and painting are both accomplished with this same crucial tool. Ink brushes are quite similar across Asian culture, given that Japanese […]
Efficiency is certainly a standard most cultures strive for. The popular saying”killing 2 birds with one stone” also has a Chinese story. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, 長孫晟 (长孙晟) Zhang Sun Cheng was a well known smart capable leader. He was particularly famed for his strong military knowledge and an expertise in archery. […]
At the recent World Robot Conference in Beijing Aug 23-27, robots showed off their prowess in the arts, writing Chinese calligraphy, sketching portraits, and even playing the piano. Chinese calligraphy generators are already widely available online for digital use, but this next generation offers brush wielding bots that imitate the real thing. Impressive, though calligraphy […]
The Chinese have a term for cell phone users: Ditouzhu 低頭族（低头族), or the clan of those with lowered heads. It encompasses the young and the old, the mobile and the bedridden. Everyone with a cell phone attached. Cell phone users are slowly catching on. On the popular show Shark Tank, 2 guys pitched the “NoPhone”, […]
Leave it to the Taiwanese to merge the digital world with the ancient art of Chinese calligraphy! This summer, the National Palace Museum in Taipei ran the world’s first calligraphy VR (virtual reality) installation in the world. Advent of Virtual Reality Virtual reality, which still seemed a rather virtual form of reality just a few […]
You can’t change the truth, but the truth can change you.
During the warring states period, the ruler of the Chu Kingdom 楚莊王 had been ruling for 3 years without much regard for governing. He enjoyed hunting, drinking, and spending time with his court of concubines. One day his doctor went to see him and came upon him holding a woman, sitting in front […]
Growing up in Ohio as one of the few Asian families locally, my family was always asked how we kept up the kids’ Chinese skills. Many of them were trying to encourage the same literacy in their kids, though some had also “given up”, speaking Chinese to their kids only to have them speak English […]
Chinese calligraphy is one of the many art forms that crosses borders and cultures. Picasso once said, “Had I been born in China, I would have been a calligrapher, not a painter.” He was likely also alluding to the importance of Chinese calligraphy within Chinese culture. Matisse also used Chinese calligraphy as inspiration. “One of […]
Most people use ballpoint pens and dispose of them whenever the ink runs out. Fountain pens almost seem like a relic of the past, but true writing enthusiasts know the joy of writing with a well-balanced weight and a nib that glides easily over the paper. The best fountain pen inks make that journey a […]