Charm of writing has growing appeal as a way to find inner peace

Before indulging herself in the enjoyment of writing Chinese calligraphy for hours on the weekends, Ma Huiyan makes a pot of tea using an exquisite tea set and burns some incense, a ritual the calligraphy lover says she needs to "create a perfect experience of spiritual enjoyment after a busy week of work".

The 32-year-old who works at a foreign company in Shanghai renewed her childhood interest in calligraphy in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, as a way to kill time.

"I'm not a calligrapher. I don't care much about the skills. It's the spiritual peace it offers that attracts me, and keeps me doing it," says Ma, who once spent eight hours writing calligraphy.