Today is the first day of school for children across China. In ancient times, starting school was not just walking into a classroom — it came with a series of ceremonies.

One part closely tied to calligraphy asked children to write the character 人 (“person”). Two simple strokes lean on each other and hold each other up. The idea was this: before you learn to read and write, you first learn how to stand upright as a human being.

This small ritual still reflects a lasting Chinese belief: education begins with character, and what families hope for most is that a child grows into a decent, upright person.

Hi, a new lurker here! Shufa is one of my favorite pastime and lately I've been wanting to get more in depth and serious in learning about it. I mainly write in 楷书 or 行书, but after spending a year for a language study in China, I fell in love with writing in the other script styles too (篆，隶，小楷). Some of the works here I gifted to my friends and loved ones, I really love gifting my loved ones a well made DIY gifts.

I actually have been practicing on and off for a long time, but I feel that I've been stagnating for so long and it's kind of hard to find and connect with other shufa artists in my country, so I'd be glad if I can connect with one here! Looking forward to geek out about shufa with you 😊

welcome to feedback for improvement

Unlike standard and clerical script, cursive allows you to vary the “wetness” of the brush to create rhythm and momentum within a piece. Yet when the brush runs dry, many practitioners instinctively scramble to reload it.

Don’t.

Keep going. Find the plane of the brush that still holds ink, and work with it. Even an extremely dry brush can produce lines full of vigor, movement, and life.

臨殤忽不御 comes from Wang Wei's poem written with a pure goat hair brush. The brush was already dry at 臨 and was never dipped in ink again.

I've finished my second piece for the calligraphy competition submission. I wanted to make it as large as the competition rules allow, just because GIANT CHARACTERS ARE SO COOL.

Unfortunately, I mixed up the lines, so when I'm mounting/presenting the works, I'll have to carefully swap them back into the right order.

寵辱不驚，看庭前花開花落；去留無意，望天上雲卷雲舒

I'm looking to get a well, some sticks brushes and paper. Im not looking to spend much but want stuff that is at least decent. I know there are many online storefronts that sell such products but im wondering if it might be cheaper to just go to a chinatown in person. Or would these items be too niche to find in such a place.

The surname Dai (戴) can be traced all the way back to the Shang Dynasty.
That’s more than 2,800 years of history.

No need to hurry.
No need to sparkle.
No need to be anybody but onesele.

Recently I tried an online session with a group of non-native Shufa learners.

The topic we focused on was: “How to Tell If a Chinese Character Is Well Written?”

The format itself already demonstrates something important: calligraphy doesn’t have to stay only in traditional settings. It can work with modern tools and fit into contemporary ways of connecting and learning.

We spent about 90 minutes online, and the discussion was lively and enjoyable.

It was an informal exchange, but it made me think this kind of online discussion could also work well for our community here.

Would anyone be interested in occasional online sessions focused on practice, questions, or topics like this? Or has anyone already tried something similar?

I recently got this beautiful calligraphy piece and I have been unsuccessful at having Google translate or chat gpt give me the same answer consistently. I would love to know what this piece says if anyone is available and willing to help 🙏

I'll be in Nanchang for a few days in October (right after the golden week), and would like some recommendation of places to visit where I can see calligraphy works and paintings, and buy supplies in particular brushes.

Places I already have on my list:

• Badashanren memorial hall (main reason for visiting!)
• Jiangxi provincial museum
• Jiangxi provincial art museum
• Tengwang pavilion

I heard that Nanchang is famous for 'Wengang brushes', however, it seems the town itself is quite far away from city center.

Does anyone have any insight as to whether it's worth visiting, or should I just find a reputable place closer to city center to test out their brushes?

In Shanghai, you can talk about and even practice Shufa in a nice café.

A quiet moment blending modern life with traditional culture.

Today we’re talking about the real sign that you’ve mastered writing vertical strokes.

Similiar to horizontal strokes, at this stage you make the technique invisible and no longer think about it.

Just like using chopsticks or a knife and fork, you don’t consciously think about your grip or force. You focus on the rhythm between strokes, how they connect and flow, and how to express feeling through that movement.

That’s when you can say you’ve really mastered the vertical stroke.

If you have any questions about Shufa, just leave your comments or DM me.