Toronto, Canada's largest city and financial center, began on Friday to host a three-day Chinese calligraphy exhibition with the aim of promoting culture exchanges between China and Canada.
The exhibition, entitled "The Beauty of Chinese Characters," presented over 40 pieces of artwork by modern calligraphy artists. The character styles covered different periods through the Chinese history.
Chinese calligrapher Nie Chengwen said this event is meaningful for boosting Chinese-Canadians' appreciation and recognition of the Chinese traditional culture.
"There is no national boundary to arts, so events like this are very crucial to strengthening the friendship between China and Canada," Nie told Xinhua.
As is widely known, Chinese calligraphy has a history of at least 1,400 years, which contributes significantly to China's artistic and aesthetic development.
"This event is a very good opportunity for Chinese culture to be appreciated by the Canadian people," Chinese Consul General in Toronto Fang Li said at the opening ceremony.
The exhibition is also a warming-up for Year 2015, the China-Canada culture exchange year, he said.
It is organized by China Calligraphers Association and Canada-China Cultural Development Association, as well as Multi-culture & Folk Arts Association of Canada.