First-year student of Diplomatic Academy is the youngest "calligrapher" in Vietnam

The first-year student of the Diplomatic Academy was entrusted to perform calligraphy at the opening ceremony of the Spring Calligraphy Festival 2016.

Nguyen To Tam An (19 years old) is a first-year student of the Faculty of International Politics and Diplomacy (Diplomatic Academy). In 2015, while studying at the specialized high school for languages ​​(National University of Foreign Languages), he passed the first round of the "calligrapher" exam to select qualified people to write letters in the Literature Lake (in the grounds of the Temple of Literature, Hanoi). Most of the participants in that competition were old men with white beards and hair.

Nguyen To Tam An (19 years old) - the youngest "calligrapher" in Vietnam, passed the calligraphy exam in 2015. Photo: Quynh Trang.

This year's "calligrapher street" season, the top scholar did not need to take any more exams to be admitted to grind ink and write calligraphy. On the opening day of the 2016 Spring Calligraphy Festival (February 2), An was also trusted by seniors in the calligraphy community to perform writing horizontal lacquered boards in front of hundreds of Vietnamese and international guests.

"Although young, Tam An is more educated and has a better foundation in calligraphy than many white-haired men. He is intelligent and a good candidate to inherit his father's career," said calligrapher Le Quoc Viet - whose calligraphy is hung in the Temple of Literature - sharing the reason for choosing the youngest "calligrapher" in Vietnam to write the horizontal lacquered board.

Nguyen To Tam An said he came to the art of calligraphy when he was very young. Every time An's father went to the temple to learn to write with a brush pen, he often took his son along. Gradually, over time, calligraphy became absorbed in the 8-9 year old boy Tam An and from a habit it became a passion.

"Calligraphy helps me learn many things, cultivate myself and entertain myself when I'm stressed," said the student of the University of Foreign Affairs. He confided that many people think calligraphy is simply writing, but in fact it is a subject that requires a lot of study. In addition to practicing writing, the writer must grasp the meaning of related things such as: layout, paper, ink, decoration... After more than 10 years of studying calligraphy, An still feels that it is not enough for him to explore and practice. Every Saturday and Sunday, he still attends classes at the temple to receive further guidance.

At the opening ceremony of the Spring Calligraphy Festival 2016, Tam An was entrusted by his fathers and uncles with the important responsibility of performing calligraphy on a horizontal lacquered board, in front of hundreds of domestic and international guests. Photo: Quynh Trang.

While many scholars complain about the difficulty of having to persevere in practicing writing each letter, and some give up, Tam An believes that perseverance is an essential requirement when learning any subject, not just calligraphy. For example, learning to play the piano takes a lot of time and effort; to be good at math, one must also be diligent. Therefore, An personally does not find it difficult to sit for many hours practicing a letter. The biggest problem for her when pursuing this art is arranging her time because there are a lot of schoolwork and extracurricular activities.

The 19-year-old boy who enjoys dancing, listening to music, singing, especially rock music, said that pursuing calligraphy does not make him old like many people think. For An, calligraphy is an art and art has the ability to attract all ages and classes. Just because it is little known, if you learn about this art, many young people will surely be interested or feel sympathy.

To introduce traditional culture to a wider audience, for many years, the young "calligrapher" Tam An often gives gifts of calligraphy to friends and teachers. Sitting and writing at Van Lake is not only an opportunity for him to improve his professional knowledge from his father and brother, but also to satisfy his passion that is sometimes put aside for the whole year, and at the same time, it is also a way to continue and preserve the beauty of the past.

Although his future career is in politics, the male student of the Diplomatic Academy said that calligraphy is still a close "friend" that will accompany him for a long time./.

According to VnExpress