From August 4 to 8, the 2025 Belt and Road China-ROK Cultural Exchange & International Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition was grandly held in Seoul, the Republic of Korea. The event was co-hosted by ZUFE, Chaegye Calligraphy Association (Korea), Zhejiang Calligraphers Association, and Zhejiang Education Calligraphy and Painting Association. Attendees at the opening ceremony included Lee Yongcheol, former President of Korea’s Dongbang Graduate University; Baek Bohyeon and Kim In-suk, Chairman and President of Chaegye Calligraphy Association; Park Jaebok, Professor of Kyungdong University; Kim Heejung, Visiting Professor of Pusan National University; Jeon Hangmo and Lee Duhee, President and Vice President of Korea Calligraphers Association; Kim Geonpyo, Vice President of Korea Seal Carving Association, as well as Chinese and Korean artist representatives together with faculty and student representatives from ZUFE’s School of Humanities and School of Arts.
Over 60 calligraphy works created by teachers and students of ZUFE, Zhejiang local artists and Korean calligraphers were on display throughout the exhibition. During the event, hundreds of Korean art professionals, Seoul residents, overseas Chinese and members of Chaegye Calligraphy Association visited the show, which aroused widespread local attention and received featured media coverage from People’s Daily and Korea’s monthly publication Seoye Wolgan (Calligraphy Monthly).
The Chinese delegation also took part in multiple subsequent activities, including the opening ceremony of the Exhibition of Qin and Han Ancient Characters, a solo calligraphy exhibition hosted by Professor Park Jaebok from Kyungdong University, and a China-ROK on-site calligraphy salon. Delegation members delivered keynote academic speeches and gave live ink-writing demonstrations. Nearly 100 members from Chaegye Calligraphy Association and experts and scholars from both countries participated in these exchange sessions.
This exhibition is a tangible practice responding to the joint declaration of the 9th China-Japan-ROK Leaders’ Meeting, which designated 2025-2026 as the China-Japan-ROK Cultural Exchange Year. It also represents ZUFE’s solid efforts to implement the Belt and Road Initiative and advance China’s cultural outreach. Taking calligraphy and painting as the cultural bond, it further facilitates friendly exchanges and in-depth mutual understanding between China and the ROK, and plays an active role in promoting fine traditional Chinese culture and boosting cultural communication between China and other East Asian nations.
(Editor: Che Peng)
