Never mind musical instruments, painting or sports, in the Central China city of Wuhan, some kids have begun to learn Chinese calligraphy. Why the sudden fascination with traditional culture?

7-year-old Ma Wenjie has been learning calligraphy for a year. At the beginning she found it difficult to even hold a brush. Now, she can wield the pen quickly and skillfully.

"Hi, your works are so nice! Why do you like calligraphy?"

"I really like it, it is fun!"

Usually children learn calligraphy starting with the basic strokes. However, since the muscles of their fingers are not strong enough, it is really difficult for them to use a brush proficiently. It is a great challenge for small kids.

Ms. Ouyang, a calligraphy teacher, says that besides weak finger muscles, helping kids calm down and concentrate can be a problem.

Ms. Ouyang, Calligraphy Teacher, said, "Every child’s fingers are different, but after some practice, most children can hold a brush pen skillfully. The biggest problem is how to help them calm down and sit still for several hours."

At the beginning of her teaching career some 15 years ago, Miss Ouyang had only 1 student. But now her small classroom is completely packed. During the recent Spring Festival holiday, some students even wrote their own couplets, amazing teachers and classmates.

Pan Min, Chinese Teacher, Wuhan Experimental Foreign Languages School, said, "I was so excited and proud when I saw the kids show their works on stage. The reason why I always encourage them to learn calligraphy is that I think it’s a good way to learn Chinese culture. It is true that the students can understand the frame of the Chinese characters better. Learning calligraphy also teaches them to concentrate."

CCTV reporter Wan Xinghuang, Wuhan, Hubei Province, said, "Many teachers and parents believe that learning calligraphy can help children calm down and develop persistence which can be very helpful in boosting their learning ability. Therefore, more and more parents tend to guide their children to learn calligraphy before starting their school life."

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