Dragons are deeply rooted in the Chinese culture. For thousands of years, dragons have been regarded as a symbol of Chinese nation and frequently depicted in artworks like paintings, carvings and writings.
    A huge sculpture featuring the Chinese character ``long'' (dragon) was recently unveiled on the north bank of the Yellow River in Lanzhou, Northwest China's Gansu Province. The sculpture was created based on a handwriting of Wang Guowen.
    Born into a farmer's family in East China's Fujian Province, Wang was admitted to Beijing University about 40 years ago. After graduation he set foot in Northwest China to start his career. When he began to study calligraphy at the age of 50, he was particularly interested in ``Caoshu'' (cursive style). After years of practice, the self-taught calligrapher evolved a unique individual style and his works have been on display in the National Art Museum of China, Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall and Zhongnanhai. In Wang's calligraphy works, the lines -- either strong or soft -- are very much changeable. He allows the brush to ``gallop'' across the paper, curling, twisting or meandering in one unbroken stroke, thus creating an original style. The handwriting of ``dragon'' is one of Wang's representative works. Few would expect that such an impressive writing was actually completed by chance.
    On December 21, 1994, Wang, who was secretary of the Party committee of Wuwei of Gansu, returned to his study after attending a meeting. As usual he planned to relax himself by practicing handwriting. When he picked up a brush, his secretary came in and asked him to have lunch. As Wang talked to his secretary, a drop of ink fell from the tip of the brush onto the paper. Hardly bothered by the incident, Wang wrote a character of ``long'' in one stroke in a few seconds. To his surprise, the ink stain added a lively touch to the handwriting.
    When we first saw the handwriting, we were impressed by its changeable style of stroke: the line started softly and looked like a female dragon embracing her baby; then the line became forceful and strong like a male dragon striving for survival. An art critic once said that the handwriting actually implied the images of Fuxi and Nuwa, who were the ancestors of mankind in the mythology of ancient China.
    “Did you ever think of the implication when you were doing the work?'' I asked Wang”The only thing I was thinking about at that time was to complete the work quickly and then have my lunch,'' Wang answered with a smile.
    Yet, the dragon in Wang's brush highlights the quintessence of Chinese calligraphy and conveys the spirit of Chinese traditional culture.
    Crowned as the cradle of China's civilization, the Yellow River flows across the country like a gigantic dragon's body. The Hexi Corridor which stretches over 1,000 kilometres from Wushaoling Mountain westward to the Gansu-Xinjiang border is a vital passageway on the Silk Road. The dragon sculpture has given life to the Yellow River, the Hexi Corridor and above all Lanzhou, a thriving city attracting an increasing number of tourists and traders from home and abroad.