"Despite the rewards they get from winning prizes, it's more important for them to concentrate on the art itself and never put the cart before the horse," she said.

Wu firmly believes children should always compete to write, instead of writing to compete.

Wu first gives her proteges quiet time to observe and study an ancient master's strokes then gets them to reconstruct them before learning to copy them from memory.

"It is a good process to improve their inner peace, patience and observation skills," said Zhang Jing, the mother of one of the students.

Wu believes that the value of calligraphy grows with time. "The nation's cultural identity is defined by its language, of which the process of writing is an inherent part," she said.

Wu is modest and plays down her role as a teacher of Chinese culture. However, her students speak highly of the way she introduces cultural elements into her classes.

"She adds cultural background and historical stories to her lessons, and this can't be done without true knowledge of the subject," said Hu Xiaoyu, a 12-year-old middle school student.

"The anecdotes about famous ancient calligraphers and their classical works add life and interest to the process of writing."

Wu's emphasis on creating a cultured environment turns the class of about 40 students and their parents into a ceremonial site for calligraphy. When you are used to modern classrooms with their noise and flash technology, the quietness and solemnity of one of Wu's classes is striking.

"I feel quiet and peaceful sitting here. Wu likes an open class. I benefit a lot from that," said Yang Lin, the mother of a student. "Wu creates that atmosphere easily and she makes it work for both children and adults."

Wu does not think a weekly class is long enough for her to follow her students' progress. So parents are encouraged to sit beside their children during her lessons. This helps the parents to encourage the children to practice writing at home on a daily basis.

"An open class was the style at schools in ancient China," Wu said. "Opening the class to parents not only helps to spread knowledge, but also helps students feel less cramped, making it easier for them to concentrate more naturally on their brushes.

"I have never closed the classroom door in 23 years. Many students and adults develop an interest in calligraphy by listening at the door."

Wu does worry that her students will not have enough time to practice calligraphy every day because of all the homework they must do and the modern distractions of computers and social networking. But she hopes her lessons will instill in them a lifelong love of the ancient art.

"I believe the time they spend on calligraphy when they are young will make them different from many other students," she said.

"What I am doing is just following the way calligraphy was taught to me that summer in 1980 when I touched a brush for the first time. The brush became a part of my life."

(China Daily 09/15/2011 page2)

By Li Yang (China Daily)