The traveler’s image of Xiamen is often one of sun-drenched Gulangyu Island, winding lanes, and the soothing scent of tea. Yet, beneath this picturesque surface flows a deeper, quieter current—the ancient art of Chinese calligraphy. More than just beautiful writing, it is a moving meditation, a physical dance of philosophy and history captured in ink. For the curious visitor, engaging with Xiamen’s calligraphy scene isn't just a cultural footnote; it’s a transformative journey into the soul of the place, offering a unique, hands-on travel experience that connects you to the city’s scholarly heart and its contemporary creative pulse.
To understand Xiamen’s affinity for calligraphy, one must look beyond the port city to its roots in Southern Fujian culture. This region has long valued scholarship, poetry, and the refined arts. The meticulous care in preparing Gongfu tea mirrors the focused discipline of holding a brush. The elegant lines of Minnan architecture find their parallel in the balanced structure of a well-composed character.
You don’t need to step into a museum to find it. Calligraphy is woven into the urban fabric. Stroll through Zhongshan Road’s historic arcades, and your eyes will be drawn to the bold, expressive characters carved into stone plaques above shop doors—often business names or auspicious phrases blessing the enterprise. In the serene Nanputuo Temple, towering engraved couplets flank the halls, their solemn strokes conveying Buddhist scriptures and wisdom. Even the humble shachamian (sand tea noodle) shop might have a modest scroll praising the virtues of local flavor. This art is not locked away; it is public, alive, and telling stories to those who pause to look.
The true magic happens when you move from observer to participant. Xiamen offers wonderful gateways for travelers to grasp the brush, making for an unforgettable and Instagram-worthy travel activity.
Around Gulangyu and the Siming district, several cultural studios cater to international visitors. A typical introductory workshop begins not with writing, but with understanding the "Four Treasures of the Study": the brush (bi), ink (mo), paper (zhi), and inkstone (yan). You’ll learn the proper posture, how to hold the brush vertically, and the fundamental strokes—the dot, the horizontal, the vertical, the hook. The first character you’ll likely learn is “永” (yong, meaning "forever"), as it contains all eight basic strokes. The challenge is humbling; the brush seems to have a mind of its own. But as the instructor guides your hand, a sense of calm focus descends. The outside noise fades, leaving only the sound of bristles on paper.
Skip the mass-produced keychains. The most meaningful souvenirs from Xiamen can be found in small galleries and shops in the Hulishan Fortress area or within the Xiamen University campus vicinity. Here, you can find beautiful, affordable pieces by local artists: * Custom Name Chops: Have your name translated phonetically into Chinese characters and carved into a personal stone seal (yinzhang). This is your unique signature, a piece of art you can use forever. * Small Scrolls with Auspicious Words: Purchase a delicate scroll featuring a single character like “福” (fu, happiness) or “和” (he, harmony). They are lightweight, deeply cultural, and perfect for gifting. * Inkstones and Brush Sets: For the serious enthusiast, beautifully crafted, portable travel sets are available, allowing you to practice your new skill long after you’ve left.
Xiamen’s calligraphy scene is not frozen in time. It dialogues dynamically with the present, creating fascinating tourist hotspots where tradition meets trend.
A visit to Xiamen University is a pilgrimage for any art lover. Its famed Lu Xun Memorial Museum not only details the writer’s life but also showcases his fierce, distinctive calligraphy. More strikingly, wander the campus pathways and you’ll find modern stone sculptures engraved with poetic verses, and building facades adorned with powerful characters by 20th-century scholars. It’s an open-air gallery where the pursuit of knowledge is literally written into the environment.
This is where the ancient art gets a vibrant, youthful reboot. In the trendy Shapowei Art Zone, nestled in old port warehouses, you might find a graffiti mural that incorporates classic calligraphic strokes into its design. Chic cafes display abstract paintings that use ink-wash techniques alongside bold characters. Young artists deconstruct and reinterpret characters, printing them on textiles, ceramics, and leather goods. Here, calligraphy is not a relic; it’s a living, breathing source of urban cool. A coffee shop wall might feature a giant, dripping-ink rendition of “厦门” (Xiamen), making for the ultimate cultural snapshot.
Engaging with calligraphy in Xiamen subtly changes how you experience the city itself. The art teaches balance, the importance of a solid foundation before a flourish, and the beauty of a single, confident line. You start to see these principles everywhere: in the curve of a temple roof, in the layout of a classical garden like the Garden of Overflowing Fragrance (Yuyuan), even in the deliberate, graceful pour of a tea master.
The inkstone holds still water, the brush finds its center, and the mind clears. In that quiet moment, as you guide the black ink to form your first hesitant character, you are doing more than a tourist activity. You are connecting with a lineage of thinkers and artists that shaped this coastline. You are learning to see the world through the lens of line and space. And when you finally step back, your own masterpiece—a simple, perhaps wobbly character—becomes more than paper and ink. It becomes a map of a moment, a personal and profound souvenir etched not just on paper, but on your memory of this beautiful, cultured city by the sea. The journey from shaky basics to appreciating masterpieces mirrors the very journey of travel itself: starting with unfamiliarity and, through practice and presence, arriving at a place of deeper connection and awe.
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Author: Xiamen Travel
Link: https://xiamentravel.github.io/travel-blog/xiamen-calligraphy-from-basics-to-masterpieces.htm
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