Beijing Wangfujing Calligraphy Class by Forbidden City

I joined several caligraphy classes in China during the time - all pleasant, never regretted it. Yet I must say that this one by Richard stands out for it's going 'to the roots' by introducing some chinese philosophy - 'be like water'. Where other classes pass you some character and invite you to copy it - after doing just a little practice and watching the teacer - this one focuses on getting your right internal focus + holding the brush correctly before writing any character - yet still in an entertaining and pleasant way for a beginner. Resulting in the end with something that looks 'acceptable' - instead of a mere childish copy of the master. Not unimportant, Richard is fluent enough in English, is well on time at the venue and checks in with you through Whatsapp or WeChat messaging before the event. Also, your tea is taken care of.

We did Not Realize that two hours passed so swiftly 😊 be water and have Fun - Thomas and Friederike

This was such a special and very peaceful experience. Richard is so talented and a very experienced and encouraging teacher. I really enjoyed my lesson and learnt a lot about Calligraphy. Definitely a must do if you enjoy connecting with Chinese history.

This was a very fun experience and I did learn quite a lot about Chinese characters

Richard Lee was awesome. He taught us so much and was so patient. Very talented. We even extended our time with him.

Time flew, booked 60mins and extended it on the day. Thanks Richard. Enjoyable learning about calligraphy plus Chinese history. Relaxing, interesting and a very kind teacher.

Wonderful experience! You get to try different Chinese characters on rice paper, and eventually, on a cardboard, you draw the one you like the most! Super!

I am very happy i booked this course. As a hobbyist on western calligraphy I was prepared to learn to write chinese characters and perhaps even with some grace. The experience was much deeper than just that, as understanding the right mindset to be in the "flow" to use the brush properly was like meditation. The instructor also guides you that way. All in all it was a great introduction into chinese original calligraphy and in a way an introduction into contemplative eastern philosophies.

The experience was so much more than calligraphy in the sense that it wasn't just about making beautiful characters, but understanding a way of relaxing the mind and "go with flow". It was like meditation. The instructor Richard is a fantastic teacher. He understood and corrected my technique immediately so I had a very fast learning curve. I strongly recommend this.

Richard met us outside the hotel and brought us to the store in the mall to do the class. We were lucky and it was only my sister and I for the class so we got a very lovely personalized class. You learn how to hold the brush and you do many practice characters before the final project which you can take home. It was relaxing and Richard was very pleasant and gave us some lovely jasmine tea. (If tea is not your thing, you are right next to a Luckin Coffee 😂) We did the 45 minute session, but if you have time, it would have been nice to go longer. I would highly recommend this experience with Richard if you are curious about calligraphy.