The Department of Cultural Affairs organized an event for writing Chinese calligraphy to usher in the Lunar New Year. On New Year’s Day this year, the three cities of Paris, Brussels, and New York were linked to Taipei, with people in Taiwan and abroad who love Chinese characters being invited to pick up their calligraphy brushes and write down their New Year’s wishes.
台北市文化局為了迎來新年規劃新春開筆活動,元旦當天與法國巴黎、比利時布魯塞爾及美國紐約三大城市同日串聯舉行,邀請海內外熱愛漢字的民眾提筆寫下新年祈願字,許下新春心願。
The first part of the Eighth Chinese Character Festival included writing calligraphy for the new lunar year. This year was the first time the event was held at Zhongshan Hall. Renowned calligraphers Tu Chong-kao, Chang Ping-huang, and famous lyricist Fang Wen-shan were all invited to write calligraphy. At a press conference held on New Year’s Eve, calligrapher Chang Ping-huang wrote a couplet that read, “Writing calligraphy on New Year’s Day in the 101st year of the Republic of China. Everyone come write Chinese characters in the new spring,” inviting people to participate in the event.
photo: Chiu Shao-wen, Taipei Times
照片:自由時報記者邱紹雯
第八屆漢字文化節首場「新春開筆」活動,今年首度改在中山堂廣場舉行。當天邀請書法名家杜忠誥、張炳煌、知名作詞家方文山等人參與開筆;在新年前夕的記者會上,書法家張炳煌即現場揮毫,寫下「一○一元旦開筆,新春全民來寫字」的對聯,邀請民眾一起來參與。
The host of the event said that in order to encourage people to write calligraphy, those who signed up for the event would receive a “bag of joy” filled with what is traditionally called “the four treasures of the study,” or wen fang si bao, as well as a card for writing wishes and a postcard. People could write their wishes on their wish cards and then hang them on the “wish tree.” There was also a temporary post office set up for participants to mail postcards with their wishes written on them free of charge.
主辦單位表示,為了鼓勵書寫,報名者可獲贈一只福袋,內有文房四寶、祈願卡和明信片,民眾可在祈願卡上寫下心願,並懸掛於現場的祈願樹;活動當天也規劃有臨時郵局,供報名者免費寄送「祝福明信片」。
Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
照片:自由時報記者方賓照。
The number of people originally allowed to register for the event was 1500, but since so many people were eager to sign up they allowed another 500 people. The Department of Cultural Affairs said they used engraving artist Lin Ren-hsin’s commemorative postage stamp at the temporary post office. People who did not sign up for the event were also allowed to mail letters to keep as souvenirs.
活動原本預計開放一千五百人報名,但因報名踴躍,後來加開五百個名額;文化局也說,活動當天,臨時郵局使用版畫藝術家林仁信設計的「紀念郵戳」,沒有報名的民眾也可到現場寄信,留作紀念。
The Department of Cultural Affairs also held a global event for writing Chinese characters, which included students from a Chinese language school in Paris, as well as the Sun Yat-sen Elementary School and the Yu Yi Chinese Institute in Brussels. Local residents studying Chinese were invited to pick up their brushes and write New Year’s wishes in Chinese calligraphy, and then take pictures of themselves with their Chinese characters. After writing how they felt about the event, they were then asked to upload the pictures on the event website. By linking cities across the globe, the joy that was felt in Taipei could be transmitted to other countries all over the world, making wishes together for the New Year. The event’s official website is ccf.culture.gov.tw.
photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
照片:自由時報記者方賓照
(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)
另外,文化局也舉辦「全球漢字書寫串聯」活動,包括法國巴黎的中文小學、比利時布魯塞爾的中山小學、余易中文學苑的學生都將響應,邀請當地學習中文的外國民眾以毛筆書寫新年的祈願字,並與自己寫的漢字一起拍照;寫下心情留言後上傳至活動網站,透過跨城市間的聯繫,把台北城的歡樂傳遞到世界各地,一同為新年祈願。活動官網:ccf.culture.gov.tw。(自由時報記者邱紹雯)
photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
照片:自由時報記者方賓照
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