The 11th Beijing Calligraphy Competition for College Students concluded at the Capital Normal University on 18 June 2023. The event was sponsored by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission under the theme “charm of calligraphy in Beijing” and aims to guide universities and colleges in the city to strengthen cultural transmission, innovation and their role in cultivating talent through culture.

It also aims to spread the culture, art and knowledge of calligraphy, helping college students to understand, learn and appreciate the profound philosophical and ethical dimensions inherent to the art form. This includes encouraging the students to engage in the study and creation of calligraphy while imparting them with national pride and a sense of patriotism.

The Experimental School of the Open University of China (OUC) also organised a preliminary contest by selecting and submitting the work of five students from its Calligraphy programmes. Three students were shortlisted for the final. They were allocated random questions, and required to finish their work onsite as part in a timed test. The three shortlisted candidates won prizes after being judged by an expert panel. Among the OUC prize winners were Li Qihang, who was awarded a special prize in the soft-brush group. Pei Deqiang won first prize in the same group while He Dongshan won second prize in the hard-pen group.

The competition attracted high-calibre candidates from leading higher education institutions such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, Beijing Normal University and Capital Normal University. The expert panel provided comments on some of the prize-winning work, giving high praise to the OUC students.

The competition tests the teaching quality and results of the Calligraphy programme at the OUC’s Experimental School. The positive attitude and demeanour of the OUC students was on full display.

By Yan Xiaohui, OUC