The Calligraphers Association of Pingyao county, Shanxi province, decided to celebrate its 20th anniversary by arranging an exhibition of works from its members, on Oct 5, during the National Day holiday, at the Pingyao International Photography Festival, and by inviting county officials to join the calligraphers in a seminar on Jin (ancient Shanxi) calligraphy.

The county's calligraphy does in fact have a long history, going back to the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), with Sun Chao, the father of Pingyao calligraphy and best friend of Wang Xizhi, China's most famous calligrapher, and many other artists coming from here.

The association was founded in 1994 to preserves that heritage and promote it, brining thousands of calligraphy lovers to the county. The association itself has grown from the original 50 to more than 200, with nine of them members of the China Calligraphers Association. It has organized many cultural events and activities over the years.

This year's exhibition has more highlights than previous events and is even larger, with plenty of content. It also has more types of calligraphy on display, covering each school. In addition, it has invited more calligraphers belonging to the younger generation so that young and middle-aged artists account for more than half of the participants, adding vitality to the art form.