OLYMPICS /
Cultural Olympics
Dancing Beijing and Chinese Calligraphy
Chinaculture.org
Updated: 2008-08-09 13:35
The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games emblem "Chinese Seal, Dancing Beijing" is a milestone of the Olympics. It serves as a classic chapter of the Olympic epic inscribed by the spirit of the Chinese nation, calligraphed by the deeper import of the ancient civilization, and molded by the character of Cathay's descendents.
"Dancing Beijing" is an image that shows the eastern ways of thinking and the nation's lasting appeal embodied in the Chinese characters. It is an expression that conveys the unique cultural quality and elegance of Chinese civilization.
With inspiration from the traditional Chinese art form -- calligraphic art, the character "Jing" (the latter of the city's name) is developed into the form of a dancing human being. The words "Beijing 2008" also resembles the vivid shapes of Chinese characters in handwriting, voicing in concise strokes of the countless feelings Chinese people possess towards the Olympics.
In China calligraphy occupies a distinguished position in the field of traditional art. It is not only a means of communication, but also a means of expressing a person's inner world in an aesthetic sense.
Ancient people paid great attention to calligraphy. It was the essential whereby a candidate could manifest his literary talent in the Imperial Examination, for it gave a first impression to the examiners. Children of high officials had to learn and try to write a good hand; even emperors themselves were good at calligraphy, for example, the versatile Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) has left us many examples of his handwriting on steles in temples and palaces.
