Teachers and students from 20 schools in Jining recently created 187 seal carving works that are now on show at the Nishichunqiu Museum in Qufu.

Over the past two years, the museum has been focused on introducing the Nishan inkstone, one of Qufu's three cultural treasures, to schools in the area. To do so, the museum has partnered with 20 primary and secondary schools in Qufu city, providing them with over 2,000 sets of ancient character writing kits and seal carving tools.

The museum has also collaborated with universities like Qufu Normal University to distribute more than 2,000 copies of free ancient character writing textbooks to students.

Nishan Middle School is among the first schools to participate in this program. They offer after-school classes on both ancient characters and seal carving every week.

"I have learned a great deal of knowledge and skills beyond what is taught in regular classes, from knowing nothing about seal carving to being able to independently create works. Seal carving art combines calligraphy, seal regulations and knife skills, revealing its limitless allure and diversity. Every stroke we make is like a spark ignited by our encounter with traditional Chinese culture," said Li Xiaoyue, a student from Nishan Middle School.

Middle school students learn seal carving at school in Qufu, Jining, East China's Shandong province. [Photo/Qilu News]