INKING TRADITION: 71-YEAR-OLD CALLIGRAPHER KEEPS HERITAGE ALIVE

KUCHING, Feb 15 (Bernama) -- For more than five decades, Chinese calligraphy has been more than a hobby for Kho Kheng Hee, it has been a lifelong discipline rooted in culture and self-improvement.

As Chinese New Year 2026 approaches, ushering in the Year of the Horse, the 71-year-old calligrapher is busy preparing festive couplets and auspicious characters, a tradition he believes carries meaning beyond decoration.

“Calligraphy is not just writing. It carries emotion and meaning,” he told Bernama.

Born in 1955 to a modest family in Kuching, Kho developed an interest in Chinese ink painting and calligraphy during his secondary school days at Chung Hua Middle School No. 1.

Financial constraints later led him to focus on building a career in the advertising industry, but his passion for the art never faded.

“I liked calligraphy for many years, but I did not fully understand the proper techniques,” Kho said, adding that after earning a Master of Executive Business Administration in the early 2000s, he decided to pursue formal training to deepen his understanding.

Between 2017 and 2019, he travelled to China every two months to further his studies at Jinan University in Guangzhou. At 64, he completed a Master of Arts in Literature at Northwest University in Xi’an.

The Kuching Chinese Culture and Arts Promotion Association president said he only began teaching about four years ago, stressing that balance and focus are just as important as technique.

“You cannot teach if you do not truly understand. It is not merely graduating from university and straightaway becoming a teacher. You must really master the art before teaching others,” said the father of three.

For this year’s celebration, many of the couplets he composes incorporate the horse, or “mǎ” in Mandarin, symbolising strength, speed, perseverance and progress.

Kho said selecting the right words for Chinese New Year couplets is just as important as executing beautiful strokes. He likened the process to composing a pantun in Malay culture, where careful word choice conveys layered meaning and values.

“The Year of the Horse carries the meaning of moving forward with energy and determination. So the words we choose must reflect that spirit.

“You must choose the best words. The sentence must be meaningful, not simply nice to look at. If there is no feeling inside, the writing has no spirit,” said Kho, who specialises in the semi-cursive script or “xingshu”. 

Among his students is Jeff Ng, 49, who returned to learn calligraphy after studying Chinese ink painting in secondary school. He said the practice has deepened his appreciation of character structure and meaning.

“One meaningful benefit is being able to create personalised pieces as gifts, especially during Chinese New Year. Handwritten blessings feel more sincere,” he said.

For Kho, the festive season is the busiest time of the year as he prepares between 50 and 80 sets of couplets bearing phrases symbolising prosperity, harmony and renewal, with this year’s works highlighting the horse motif.

He said the couplets pasted on main doors serve as daily reminders of hopes and values for the coming year, helping to set a positive mindset.

While printed decorations are widely available today, Kho believes handwritten pieces retain a personal touch that cannot be replicated digitally.

As a judge for calligraphy competitions in local schools, he has observed growing participation, including among non-Chinese students. However, he cautioned that learning should take precedence over winning.

“I hope more young people will continue to appreciate the cultural and philosophical depth of Chinese calligraphy, especially during Chinese New Year,” he said. 

-- BERNAMA