Charm of writing has growing appeal as a way to find inner peace

He opened a calligraphy course at the university in 2019. Videos of his course were later uploaded online, winning him millions of views.

"Writing calligraphy is not for practical use. The movements of the brush on paper are like a dance performance. The process involves a perfect match of one's hands and mind. It's a highbrow form of entertainment in modern life," says Fang.

He explains that the writing process has a magic power to make practitioners feel good by using both their hands and brains.

Fang points out that people can learn calligraphy at any age, as opposed to the biased opinion that calligraphy must be learned from one's childhood. Thus, adults can learn it, too.

"Calligraphy expresses the writer's personality and emotions. It's a way for people living in the fast-paced world to slow down and enjoy a poetic world made up of patterns of characters," he says.

Guo Ziyuan, a teacher from Hanxiang Calligraphy Education, a Beijing-based calligraphy training company, began teaching calligraphy 10 years ago. He finds that many of his adult students want to control their temper and cultivate their minds by learning calligraphy.

"They told me they are short-tempered and hope to change themselves by picking up this traditional art form," says Guo, adding that the popularity of traditional culture currently pushes more people to turn to calligraphy.