MIRI: SJK Chung Hua Pujut, a primary school, and Riam Road Secondary School have won the Datuk Sri Dr. Lee Kim Shin challenge trophy for Chinese calligraphy competition on writing of Spring Festival couplets.
The prize presentation ceremony was held at the auditorium of Riam Road Secondary School recently with Minister of Transport Sarawak Datuk Seri Dr. Lee Kim Shin as the guest of honour.
The competition was organised by Federation of the Miri Division Chinese Association Sarawak and co-organised by Miri Chinese Calligraphy and Culture Society plus Riam Road Secondary School Calligraphy Society.
According to an organising spokesperson in a press statement here yesterday, the event which was open to students from primary and secondary school in the northern region of Sarawak also featured an open category.
It attracted students from nine primary and 13 secondary schools.
Organising chairwoman, Aini Kho, in her speech thanked the committee members for their hard work, teachers, experienced calligraphy teachers from Sabah, Johor and local teachers who acted as judges and all the participants.
She also said the students were the hope of the future and hoped that their love for calligraphy would encourage others to like calligraphy as well.
Meanwhile, Lee, in his speech, said the Chinese culture had enjoyed more than 5000 years of history.
“Chinese calligraphy is the cultural treasure of the Chinese. To write calligraphy calmly is not only helpful for us to understand the meaning of the characters and also helps us to improve our understanding of traditional Chinese culture,” he added.
“The auspicious words for the New Year are written in calligraphy as couplets to signify joy.
“Culture presents the soul of a nation. Excellent culture promotes social progress and creates better lives,” he added.
The principal of Riam Road Secondary School, James Ting in his speech, said that calligraphy class was one of the school extracurricular activities and included in the junior high school curriculum.
He thanked Lee and the Federation of the Miri Division Chinese Association Sarawak and Miri Chinese Calligraphy and Culture Society for promoting traditional Chinese culture.
Meanwhil, president of the Federation of The Miri Division Chinese Associations Sarawak Datuk David Goh Kien Ping advised the students not to think of what the society would do for them, but what they could for the country and society.
