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Calligraphers show their works during the opening ceremony of the 41st Lanting Calligraphy Festival in Shaoxing on April 1. [Photo provided to ezhejiang.gov.cn]

The 41st Lanting Calligraphy Festival opened in the historic Lanting scenic area of Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang province, on April 1.

During the opening ceremony, foreign calligraphy practitioners joined Chinese calligraphers in writing five Chinese characters — meaning sky, earth, unity, eternity, and harmony — as a symbol of cultural exchange through art.

The festival commemorates a pivotal moment in Chinese cultural history.

In 353, the revered calligrapher Wang Xizhi (303-361) invited 41 friends to Lanting, where he created the Lanting Xu (Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion), an apex in Chinese calligraphy. Since then, Lanting has been revered by scholars and artists.

Calligraphers show their works during the opening ceremony of the 41st Lanting Calligraphy Festival in Shaoxing on April 1. [Photo provided to ezhejiang.gov.cn]

Today, Lanting remains a cultural landmark.

Christine Gertrud Huerlimann, a Swiss calligraphy enthusiast, described Lanting as a sacred place for Chinese calligraphy. She has practiced the art for eight years and came to China last year to learn Chinese and enhance her skills.

Calligraphy has also become a tool for cultural diplomacy.

Shaoxing University signs an agreement to collaborate on international projects with Hin Hua High School, Huachiew Chalermprakiet University, and Les Petits Trilingues. [Photo provided to ezhejiang.gov.cn]

Shaoxing University has established Lanting Academy of Calligraphy programs in schools and institutions across 11 countries and regions.

During the opening ceremony, Shaoxing University signed an agreement to collaborate on international projects with Hin Hua High School in Malaysia, Huachiew Chalermprakiet University in Thailand, and Les Petits Trilingues from France.