A collective calligraphy event that brought together 75 representatives from China and Pakistan to co-create a 7.5-meter-long scroll concluded during the Silk Road Cultural Festival, in a symbolic tribute to the 75-year journey of China-Pakistan diplomatic relations.

The event, themed around “Lanting Xu” (Preface to the Orchid Pavilion), saw 40 Chinese and 35 Pakistani participants jointly trace and inscribe classical calligraphy models onto a single continuous scroll, Gwadar Pro reported on Wednesday.

“Lanting Xu” is a celebrated masterpiece by Wang Xizhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, long regarded as the pinnacle of Chinese running-script calligraphy.

Composed in 353 AD for a gathering of scholars at the Orchid Pavilion, the work is renowned not only for its fluid, elegant brushwork but also for the philosophical reflections it embodies on life, transience and human connection.

The activity brought people together to explore the beauty of traditional Chinese calligraphy and to gain insight into China’s rich cultural heritage and the philosophic and artistic values embodied in its written characters— an art that has endured through the centuries.

Participants represented a broad cross-section of both societies, including industrial artisans, construction workers, agricultural practitioners, cultural scholars, scientific researchers, university faculty and students, business leaders and artists.

The calligraphy event was held in conjunction with a Silk Road painting and calligraphy exhibition, which also featured a collection of photographs themed on the historic Silk Road.

Following the conclusion of the event, the completed 7.5 meter long scroll was placed on public display at Pakistan National Council of the Arts gallery in Islamabad for a month-long exhibition.

The event formed part of the second International Silk Road Festival 2026 in Islamabad, which was held at PNCA on October 24-25, bringing together diplomats, tourism officials and business representatives to promote cultural exchange and regional connectivity.

The festival, organized by Silk Road Enterprises in collaboration with the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation, aims to revive the legacy of the ancient Silk Road as a framework for contemporary cultural diplomacy and people-to-people engagement.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China