“Lanting Culture Salon” Where Brush and Ink Build Bridges of Friendship

The four-week “Lanting Culture Salon” Chinese Painting Experience Class came to a fulfilling close, filled with the fragrance of ink and joy. For many students, it was their first time holding a brush — nervous yet eager, they gradually found their rhythm, discovering the soul of traditional art stroke by stroke. Through landscapes, flowers, and birds rendered on xuan paper, they embarked on a meditative journey of creativity and self-discovery.

At the start of the course, most participants were new to the “Four Treasures of the Study” (brush, ink, paper, and inkstone). Facing the blank rice paper, they wavered between hesitation and excitement. The instructor began with the basics — how to hold the brush, control ink intensity, and layer the “five shades” (scorched, thick, heavy, light, and clear) to create depth. Step by step, they learned techniques like cun (texture strokes), ca (dry brushing), dian (dotting), and ran (wash application) to bring their subjects to life. Students joked that their first bamboo leaves looked “more like brooms,” but with practice, they eventually painted graceful, upright stalks. Some spent hours perfecting the curve of a lotus petal, finally achieving a delicate “First Bloom of the Lotus”. As the lessons progressed, the elegance of orchids, the ruggedness of mountain rocks, and the soft mist implied by strategic blank spaces emerged on paper. The classroom buzzed with lighthearted critiques and shared laughter.

By the final session, gratitude took tangible form — students penned heartfelt thank-you notes in ink. Their sincere words moved the instructor, who remarked, “Your passion and progress are the truest way to keep this tradition alive.”

Though the course lasted only a month, the seeds of Chinese painting have taken root. One participant quipped they’d “turn the living room into a studio”, while others formed a post-class art group to continue their practice. Looking ahead, we plan to offer advanced courses, hoping this ink-scented journey will inspire even more lives.