Every Wednesday afternoon, Le Duc An, a Vietnamese PhD student at Beijing University of Technology, practices what he says is a way to elevate his "mind, body and spirit".

The 33-year-old has been studying Chinese calligraphy for nearly three years at the campus calligraphy club.

"Chinese calligraphy has not only helped me cultivate qualities of patience, care and perseverance, it has also helped me learn significantly more about China, especially its culture," An says.

Chinese calligraphy is widely regarded in the country as a good way to strengthen the will and lead a healthy life. To practice calligraphy, one has to calm the mind, body and breath, and focus on the writing, and according to adherents, as the breathing becomes even, the mind experiences peace and joy.

"I was exposed to Vietnamese calligraphy when I was a child, and it was one of the things that made the biggest impression on me," An says.

Watching films about Chinese culture, the seeds of An's interest in calligraphy grew. When he came to Beijing in 2019 for his PhD studies focusing on the environment, he also spent time practicing Chinese calligraphy, joining the calligraphy club in 2020, and committing in earnest to his journey of learning the art.

"I have a lot of projects and a busy schedule as a PhD student," he says. "But I still conscientiously attend calligraphy classes."

Initially, An says that he did not understand the techniques involved in Chinese calligraphy, but as a result of Professor Liu Hongli's classes, he began to develop an understanding of the basic strokes.

All Chinese characters are formed of a series of strokes. Professor Liu starts out by having the international students meticulously copy the way she writes each character. She also encourages them to write characters on fans and lanterns, which greatly increases their interest in practicing calligraphy.

"I tell them what each character means," Liu says. "An has shown a great interest in Chinese characters, and he is conscientious and persistent."

To gain a deeper understanding of calligraphy, An has visited many ancient sites in Beijing, including the Confucius Temple and the Forbidden City. He also frequents art galleries.

An says that places where he has seen treasured scrolls of calligraphy have left a profound impression, and are a major source of inspiration.

He has also participated in a number of calligraphy competitions, both at school and elsewhere, including international events.

"International students feel a sense of accomplishment in calligraphy class, not just as a result of the art itself, but also as a result of their love for traditional Chinese culture," Liu says.

For An, calligraphy is also a way to find friends who share his interest in Chinese culture. One of them, 23-year-old Kim Joon-yeop from South Korea, who is majoring in international Chinese language education at university, joined the calligraphy club in 2021.

"An is a PhD student and I am an undergraduate, so ordinarily, we might not have had a chance to really know each other," Kim says. "But our common interest in Chinese culture brought us together at the calligraphy club. An is a classmate and he practices calligraphy with great dedication."

Kim started studying Chinese at high school in South Korea. When he arrived in China and learned about the history of oracle bone inscriptions, the most ancient form of Chinese characters, he was amazed.

"It was the first time I really understood that writing has its own history," he says.

These earliest known examples of Chinese include inscriptions on animal bones and tortoise shells — records of divination and prayers to gods by people in the Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century-11th century BC) — which were burned so that predictions could be made by deciphering the cracks that were created.

Since the fourth century, calligraphy has been prized and collected as an elite form of visual art and from as early as the 10th century, it was also a key component of the imperial civil service examinations, and so honing one's writing ability was one way of paving a path to power and prestige.

In the 20th century, calligraphy remained central to Chinese art, expressing an enduring relationship with history. Now in the 21st century, it gives Chinese artists a distinctive voice in global art.

"The first time I dipped a brush into ink, I didn't like the strong smell," Kim says.

With the help of Professor Liu, Kim says he gradually came to understand the meaning behind the characters and the techniques used in calligraphy.

"Now, I find an aroma of calligraphy in the ink," he says.

Like An, Kim also has participated in many calligraphy-related activities, including competitions for foreign students in Beijing.

"I once signed up for an event where we were required to write 50 Chinese characters, and I practiced writing on 20 sheets of paper," he says.

Kim says he also experiences a sense of spiritual elevation from calligraphy and has begun sharing his work with his family and friends.

"If I have my own students in the future, I will teach them about the culture of Chinese calligraphy, just like Professor Liu," Kim says.

An, who plans to return to Vietnam after completing his studies, says he also wants to continue to practice calligraphy.

"Calligraphy has become a part of me," An says. "Whenever I see Chinese calligraphy from different dynasties, and on sculptures and at historical sites, I'm very impressed by the vastness and depth of Chinese culture."

Cao Chenyuan, Chang Aohan and Yu Jia'ao contributed to this story.

Contact the writer at caihong@chinadaily.com.cn