University students explore seal engraving art in Shanghai

The National Exhibition of University Students Seal Engravings 2025 opened at the Shanghai Library on Friday, aiming to guide young students in exploring the origins of Chinese characters through seal engraving art, strengthening cultural confidence, and inheriting Chinese cultural heritage.

The exhibition attracted 637 participants from 166 universities, including some international students studying in China. The submissions cover 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government, and Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions. After expert review, a total of 288 works were selected for exhibition, marking significant improvements in the number of exhibitors, geographical coverage, and quality compared to the first edition.

The exhibition was initiated by the East China Normal University in July 2018. On New Year's Day of 2019, the first series of exhibitions were successfully held at the Shanghai Library and the ECNU, pioneering the national independent seal engraving exhibition for college students.

Holding the exhibition in Shanghai has special significance. Shanghai, as an important cultural hub and artistic center in modern China, has deep roots in seal engraving art, with many famous artists originating from the city.

Zhang Suo, director of the College of Fine Arts at ECNU, said, "Seal engraving is a traditional art form based on the ancient Chinese seal script, which is loved by people. It is a 'living fossil' that has been widely used since ancient Chinese characters withdrew from the historical stage. It is an important bridge for contemporary people to understand ancient Chinese characters. Seal engraving texts are often concise and have special significance in practicing socialist core values today."