Saving Ancient Tibetan Calligraphy

By+Xinhua

Aang Jiancuo， 46， is one of the inheritors of the Deang Sazhi style of Tibetan calligraphy， which originated from the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Golog in northwest Chinas Qinghai Province. The unique art form was enlisted into the national intangible cultural heritage of China in 2011.

Jiancuo has studied the calligraphy by himself since the age of 12. He started to follow Bazhi， the seventh-generation heir of the technique， when he was 27.

Deang Sazhi Tibetan calligraphy is in high demand， but the fact that craftsmen must make their own writing implements， paper and ink discourages many from taking up the art form.

Currently， Jiancuo is teaching Deang Sazhi Tibetan calligraphy to 152 students who come from many areas of China， including Beijing， Shanghai and Sichuan Province. “Protecting this craft is my lifelong dream and I will teach anyone who wants to learn it，” he said.

（Photos by Wu Gang）