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Calligraphy museum in Russia showcases diverse cultures across Asia

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      China

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      Calligraphy museum in Russia showcases diverse cultures across Asia

      2024-10-25 07:05 Last Updated At:07:37

      The World Calligraphy Museum in Ryazan, Russia stands as a unique institution showcasing calligraphy from dozens of Asian countries. It serves as a bridge connecting diverse cultures and traditions, uniting civilizations under one roof.

      The museum, the only one of its kind in Russia and one of the few globally, is solely devoted to the art of calligraphy.

      "This museum has no equivalents. In China, some think there is only Chinese calligraphy, in the Arab world - that there is only Arabic calligraphy. But it turns out that the world is so diverse in terms of this form of art. What we have created is unprecedented. Many people have heard or read something about calligraphy but have not seen it with their own eyes. Particularly, few people have had the opportunity to walk around the gallery and have a good understanding of regional calligraphy," said Alexey Shaburov, director and founder of the museum.

      The museum features distinctive collections of Russian and Chinese calligraphy.

      This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of China-Russia diplomatic relations, the museum has curated a special exhibition highlighting Chinese culture.

      Additionally, the museum conducts regular calligraphy classes providing a deeper immersion into Chinese cultural practices and also offers Chinese language lessons.

      "When teaching the Chinese language, the most important aspect is hieroglyphs. They seem complex, but through art, Russian students can understand Chinese characters and realize that it's the easiest part in learning the Chinese language," said Wei Rongchen, a calligraphy and Chinese language teacher.

      Every year the number of Russians interested in learning the Chinese language and calligraphy continues to grow, and the students here not only enjoy but appreciate the master classes being offered.

      "Of course, the whole culture of the Chinese language is very interesting, but calligraphy has made me curious. My calligraphy teacher shows me how to write. I study under his guidance, it’s really interesting, just like the Chinese language," said a student.

      "It's my first time here, but I really liked the drawings by the professionals. It's very beautiful and I think you can learn it for a very long time, and it's very beautiful. I don’t think everybody can create such pieces," said another student.

      The museum houses an extensive collection of over 3,500 exhibits from more than 70 countries, engaging in scientific studies and translating works of calligraphers into Russian and English.

      The allure of calligraphy knows no bounds, evolving as an art form cultivated globally over centuries.

      Calligraphy museum in Russia showcases diverse cultures across Asia

      Calligraphy museum in Russia showcases diverse cultures across Asia

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      Eco-friendly burials take root among Chinese people

      2025-04-07 13:46 Last Updated At:14:07

      The concept of eco-friendly burials -- ways of laying loved ones to rest that reduce environmental impact -- has grown in popularity among the Chinese people, especially over the past five years.

      In China, eco-friendly burials comprise forms such as lawn burials, flowerbed burials as well as tree burials, which require minimal land. Sea burials and biodegradable urn burials that do not take up any land are also popular options.

      Analysts believe eco-friendly burials will help to alleviate the strain on land resources, contribute to environmental protection, and also fulfill people's emotional needs for remembering their departed loved ones. The Ministry of Civil Affairs said in 2024, there were 194,700 ecological burials of ashes across the country, up 67 percent from 2019. Among them, 53,500 were sea burials, an increase of 26 percent over 2019, and 141,200 tree burials, an increase of 90 percent over 2019. Today, 28 provinces in China offer rewards and subsidies to families who choose eco-burials.

      "More and more people begin to accept land-saving ecological burial methods. China's land-saving ecological burial methods such as sea burials and tree burials have been on the rise every year. China's land-saving ecological burial facilities have become more full-fledged as local governments have increased their efforts to build these facilities," said Liu Tao, director of the Department of Social Affairs under the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

      April 4 marked this year's Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day, a traditional Chinese festival for people to pay tribute to the deceased and to worship their ancestors.

      During the period around this festival, people often visit graveyards, where they traditionally pay tribute to the dead by offering food and burning incense and paper money.

      In recent years, with the support from the government, many have turned to greener practices, such as offering flowers and lighting electric candles. During this year's three-day Qingming Festival holiday from Friday to Sunday, people across China made nearly 54.34 million trips to burial sites, up 14.3 percent from last year.

      Eco-friendly burials take root among Chinese people

      Eco-friendly burials take root among Chinese people

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