TAG- Confucius Organizes 

2ndCalligraphy Competitio (Ambassador`s Cup)

 

Amman - TAG-Confucius Institute started preparations and training for TAGCI participating students, under the supervision of the Chinese teachers and the management of the Institute.

 

The 2nd Calligraphy Competition in Chinese writing and dictation skills will be held under the patronage of the Chinese Ambassador to Jordan, HE Mr. Pan Wei fang and HE Dr. Talal Abu Ghazaleh.

The Competition will witness the participation of 52 competitors from TAG-Confucius, University of Jordan, Philadelphia University, Al Yarmouk University, and Islamic Educational College.  

The Competition includes four sections comprising dictation and writing skills for children, dictation and writing skills for adults, writing skills using pen and writing skills using the fountain pen.  

 

Chinese calligraphy 

Chinese Calligraphy is a form of aesthetically pleasing writing (calligraphy), or, the artistic expression of human language in a tangible form. This type of expression has been widely practiced in China and has been generally held in high esteem in the Chinese cultural sphere (including, historically, for example, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam). There are some general standardizations of the various styles of calligraphy in this tradition. Chinese calligraphy and ink and wash painting are closely related: they are accomplished using similar tools and techniques, and have a long history of shared artistry. 

 

 

 

 

Distinguishing features of Chinese painting and calligraphy include an emphasis on motion charged with dynamic life. According to Stanley-Baker, "Calligraphy is 

Sheer life experienced through energy in motion that is registered as traces on silk or paper, with time and rhythm in shifting space its main ingredients."[1]Calligraphy has also led to the development of many forms of art in China, including seal carving, ornate paperweights, and inkstones.

Evaluation and appreciation

While appreciating calligraphy will depend on individual preferences, there are established traditional rules and those who repeatedly violate them are not considered legitimate calligraphers.

 Among these rules are:

• The characters must be written correctly:

- A correctly written character is composed in a way that is accepted as correct by legitimate calligraphers. Calligraphic works often use variant Chinese characters, which are deemed correct or incorrect case-by-case, but in general, more popular variants are more likely to be correct. Correct characters are written in the traditional stroke order and not a modern standard.

• The characters must be legible:

- As calligraphy is the method of writing well, a calligraphic work must be recognizable as script, and furthermore be easily legible to those familiar with the script style, although it may be illegible to those unfamiliar with the script style. For example, many people cannot read cursive, but a calligraphic work in cursive can still be considered good if those familiar with cursive can read it.

• The characters must be concise:

- This is in contrast to Western calligraphy where flourishes are acceptable and often desirable. Good Chinese calligraphy must be 

 

 

 

 

Unadorned script. It must also be in black ink unless there is a reason to write in other ink.

• The characters must fit their context:

- All reputable calligraphers in China were well educated and well read. In addition to calligraphy, they were skilled in other areas, most likely painting, poetry, music, opera, martial arts, and Go. Therefore, their abundant education contributed to their calligraphy. A calligrapher practicing another calligrapher's characters would always know what the text means, when it was created, and in what circumstances. When they write, their characters' shape and weight agrees with the rhythm of the phrases, especially in less constrained styles such as semi-cursive and cursive. One who does not know the meaning of the characters they write, but varies their shape and weight on a whim, does not produce good calligraphy.

• The characters must be aesthetically pleasing : 

- Generally, characters that are written correctly, legibly, concisely, and in the correct context are also aesthetically pleasing to some degree. Characters that violate the above rules are often less aesthetically pleasing.