Visit China Without Leaving the Country

Experience China right here in Southern Maryland with the College of Southern Maryland Global Initiatives Committee’s “A Passport to China: Chinese Calligraphy Exhibit.”

The exhibit will be on display at the Leonardtown and La Plata campuses during April 2016 and there will be a traditional Dragon Dance at the Prince Frederick campus.

In La Plata, the exhibit opened April 4, and will be in the Library Resources (LR) Building. The exhibit will run in La Plata through April 30. A day of activities were held April 12 including a demonstration by a calligraphy artist, a performance by Fabulous Acrobatic Troupe, a performance by Wong Dancers with dragon dance and Kung Fu demonstration and a lecture on the calligraphy exhibit. The La Plata campus is at 8730 Mitchell Road.

In Leonardtown, the exhibit will be on display through April 30 in Building A, Room 206. The Leonardtown campus is at 22950 Hollywood Road.

Chinese calligraphy is a beautiful art form that has been an Asian tradition for centuries. The Chinese letters are especially interesting because they emphasize motion. This writing, which is both an art form and a practical form of communication, is an important part of Chinese culture.

Chinese painting and calligraphy distinguish themselves from other cultural arts because they emphasize motion and are charged with dynamic life.

The traditional Dragon Dance is incredible to watch. This festive dance requires several participants who manipulate several pieces of a long dragon. The dance is used in celebrations for events such as the Chinese New Year.

For information and locations of the calligraphy exhibit and performances, visit CSM’s website.

During the fall semester in November 2015, the Global Initiatives Committee offered the program, “A Passport Through South Africa,” to celebrate International Week.

For more about the College of Southern Maryland, visit their Leader member page.