A morning walk in the market near BPU gave the group a chance to stretch their legs and awake to color and great smells. A number of stands sold quantities of cut mixed vegetables in every combination for stir fry. Precut vegetables significantly shorten preparation time for families in which both the husband and wife work. I always wondered how anyone had the time to prepare elaborate evening meals. When I discussed the types of experiences the group would like to have during the trip with Cai Zunan, Deputy Director of the International Program at Beijing Polytechnic University, I mentioned that a brief introduction to calligraphy would be ideal before we visited art museums.
Chinese calligraphy is a high art form.
The placement and strength of characters help interpret poems, the beauty and life of the characters give insight into the person of the calligrapher, and the style of the characters is developed and interpreted by an individual through a lifetime of practice. When we arrived that afternoon, we found that Cai and BPU had invited Ren Meng Long, an internationally known Chinese painter and Pu Xi Yang, one of the five top calligraphers in Beijing to give demonstrations of their art forms. This was so much more than we had expected. We were honored by the extraordinary hospitality shown us. The demonstration took place in the president's conference room.