Chen Xiaochun 654789759@qq.com YOU will probably be wowed by the calligraphy works on show at the Shenzhen Oriental Art Gallery, and even more so when you learn they were written by expats in Shenzhen. The third “Oriental Cup” Chinese Calligraphy Contest for the International Community kicked off at the art gallery Saturday, bringing together calligraphy lovers, experts and officials from Futian District. The contest, organized by Futian’s publicity department and undertaken by Shenzhen Oriental Art Gallery, is collecting Chinese calligraphy works until Oct. 10. Zhong Fanfei, chairman of Shenzhen Oriental Art Gallery, explained that they will continue to organize a series of events, including calligraphy salons, lectures and exhibitions, in a bid to turn the contest into a new cultural calling card of Shenzhen. “From the love of Chinese characters to being able to write Chinese calligraphy, it not only shows the love for a culture, but also the love for art. Because whether it’s about Chinese characters or the characters of other countries, it’s not merely culture but also an art. The love for art transcends boundaries,” Tao Yitao, dean of Shenzhen University “Belt and Road” Institute, told the Shenzhen Daily. Tao said that the calligraphy contest can unite people of different cultures and facilitate exchanges and communication between different cultures. “Against the backdrop of the Belt and Road Initiative and the construction of the Greater Bay Area, such an event better showcases the charm of Shenzhen, which is diversified and inclusive with common prosperity and development. In a certain sense, cultural exchange is more powerful than economic exchange. Cultural recognition offers strong support for economic development,” said Tao. This is the third time that Alan Hernandez Aviles from Mexico has attended the calligraphy contest. Aviles has been practicing Chinese calligraphy for 10 years now, although he only studied it under a teacher for six months while he was in Beijing. “I used to work as a chef, and being a chef means a lot of pressure. So one friend told me that there are two ways to help reduce stress, one is doing exercise and the other is practicing art, such as calligraphy and painting. I chose calligraphy,” said Aviles. “I feel peaceful and tranquil when I practice Chinese calligraphy. I feel very relaxed, so I like it very much,” Aviles told the Shenzhen Daily, adding that he is currently working for a consulting company named Bizopstchthat that provides logistics services to SF. Viktoriia Nifontova from Russia is a student at the College of International Exchange of Shenzhen University. She fetched the first prize at the second edition of the contest. Nifontova shared that the most important thing to see improvement is practice. The art of Chinese calligraphy allows her to better understand the profundity of Chinese culture. Submission and contact information: Tel: 0755-2360-3200 Email: oriental_cup@sina.com WeChat: szdfmsg2016 Mailing address: Shenzhen Oriental Art Gallery, 7/F, Grand Mercure Oriental Ginza Hotel, Futian District | 