Beijing Wangfujing Calligraphy Class By Forbidden City

Awesome class! Learned a lot about calligraphy and had an enjoyable experience. Good instructor and got to take home my work!

I joined several caligraphy classes in China during the time - all pleasant, never regretted it. Yet I must say that this one by Richard stands out for it's going 'to the roots' by introducing some chinese philosophy - 'be like water'. Where other classes pass you some character and invite you to copy it - after doing just a little practice and watching the teacer - this one focuses on getting your right internal focus + holding the brush correctly before writing any character - yet still in an entertaining and pleasant way for a beginner. Resulting in the end with something that looks 'acceptable' - instead of a mere childish copy of the master. Not unimportant, Richard is fluent enough in English, is well on time at the venue and checks in with you through Whatsapp or WeChat messaging before the event. Also, your tea is taken care of.

We did Not Realize that two hours passed so swiftly 😊 be water and have Fun - Thomas and Friederike

This was such a special and very peaceful experience. Richard is so talented and a very experienced and encouraging teacher. I really enjoyed my lesson and learnt a lot about Calligraphy. Definitely a must do if you enjoy connecting with Chinese history.

This was a very fun experience and I did learn quite a lot about Chinese characters

Richard Lee was awesome. He taught us so much and was so patient. Very talented. We even extended our time with him.

Time flew, booked 60mins and extended it on the day. Thanks Richard. Enjoyable learning about calligraphy plus Chinese history. Relaxing, interesting and a very kind teacher.

Wonderful experience! You get to try different Chinese characters on rice paper, and eventually, on a cardboard, you draw the one you like the most! Super!

I am very happy i booked this course. As a hobbyist on western calligraphy I was prepared to learn to write chinese characters and perhaps even with some grace. The experience was much deeper than just that, as understanding the right mindset to be in the "flow" to use the brush properly was like meditation. The instructor also guides you that way. All in all it was a great introduction into chinese original calligraphy and in a way an introduction into contemplative eastern philosophies.

The experience was so much more than calligraphy in the sense that it wasn't just about making beautiful characters, but understanding a way of relaxing the mind and "go with flow". It was like meditation. The instructor Richard is a fantastic teacher. He understood and corrected my technique immediately so I had a very fast learning curve. I strongly recommend this.

Richard met us outside the hotel and brought us to the store in the mall to do the class. We were lucky and it was only my sister and I for the class so we got a very lovely personalized class. You learn how to hold the brush and you do many practice characters before the final project which you can take home. It was relaxing and Richard was very pleasant and gave us some lovely jasmine tea. (If tea is not your thing, you are right next to a Luckin Coffee 😂) We did the 45 minute session, but if you have time, it would have been nice to go longer. I would highly recommend this experience with Richard if you are curious about calligraphy.

I had the best time. Richard was so patient with me. I had a tough day starting out, and he had the best energy to bring peace to my hectic day. I loved the repetitive practice. I noticed when I was moving fast and felt at ease when I started to slow down. I can’t wait to practice more at home.

Outstanding calligraphy lesson with Richard. He was a great teacher. The class is held in a bookshop cafe while sharing jasmine tea. He gave me a brush as an extra gift and now I get to take home my own work. Highly recommended!

This was an excellent experience. I signed up for the 2-hour lesson and it was perfect. Richard is the BEST guide and I’m taking home my own work of art. I highly recommend this. It’s in a cute bookstore and you share tea with the instructor.

My partner and I had a great experience doing calligraphy. Richard was a very friendly and welcoming teacher.

Wonderful experience to learn just a little about the ancient art of Chinese calligraphy. My wife, daughter and I learned to do some characters and after we had gotten better we painted the characters on a decorative board that we were able to take as fun memento. Richard also gave us a very nice calligraphy brush to take home and practice some more. Richard was a skilled patient teacher. Highly recommend this fun experience.

Li was a great teacher and was very patient! He spoke fluent English. We learnt how to write a Chinese character for one hour.

Very nice and authentic experience. Richard is a very good teacher, and we had a very good adventure in this class. We recommend! Thank you.

I went with my friend and it's been so far the best experience we've had :) I would gladly go again!! 30 min is not enough, 1 h is the optimal choice

We were offered not only practice but also a deep dive into Chinese history and culture. We would recommend the experience for people looking for something original and exciting.

Li was a very good instructor. I learned a lot in a short amount of time. Good experience and I highly recommend it. You won’t regret it.

We spent an hour learning calligraphy. It was a calm and pleasant moment, the teacher is very friendly. The workshop setting is very pleasant.

Amazing experience with David. Totally one of our highlights in Beijing. Definitely recommend, we really enjoyed it!

We went there during our lasy evening ut Bejing and it was amazing way to spend it! We recommend to everyone even if You are not info art!

Great experience! My wife and I came with our 4 year old boy and we are enthusiastic! Richard walked us through the basics of Chinese calligraphy with patience

Learning water color painting was more difficult than I imagined but Li was very patient and helpful with lots of tips and practice so our final water color painted fans turned out great. This was our first activity after landing in Beijing and it was very relaxed and enjoyable.

Very nice class. We learned a lot about calligraphy and made a beautiful souvenir about happiness. Very much recommended!

It was very good and relaxing experience, Richard was so kind. I learned so much in such a short time about old Chinese culture and calligraphy! If you also want to feel and go back in time, I definitely recommend it!

It's in a bookstore and it's air-conditioned and you get tea . You also get a history of calligraphy and how old the practice is. I learned a lot and it was lots of fun and I'm coming back

So amazing!! Would definitely recommend this experience :3 Richard is a very charming man and the experience is really relaxing

It was a fantastic afternoon activity. Richard is so fun and also very professional. He is the living proof that patience and steadiness must lead to beautiful art :)

Our kid made the decision to take this class instead of visiting other major tour sites. It turned out to be an excellent afternoon. We not only learned how to write happiness (福), we actually experienced the joy and happiness! Thank our teacher Richard for the wonderful afternoon! Thank you for practicing “one world one heart”!

This was a great class. I didn’t think I would enjoy it when my wife scheduled it, but I actually loved it. The instructor was good.

The class was good, he showed me how to write and learn how to do calligraphy in mandarin. Good experience!

We were warmly greeted by Richard and then introduced into calligraphy. Our daughters (under 10) liked it also. Richard teaches patiently and we had fun. The rooms are located in a shop of a shopping centre. Thank you very much Richard.

We had an amazing experience with Richard. I always enjoy trying new activities when traveling and being able to learn and try the art of calligraphy was amazing. Would do again!

This was a chill experience! this is really cool cuz you write some cool unique Chinese characters, and ts really goood.

Very good activity! Calm and cultural 👍🏻 more suited for children of 6 years old + Thanks for a great moment :) loved it!

We have visited 1 hour calligraphy class with proffesional teacher. It was interesting and amazing experience for us to make own calligraphy for home! This is a relaxing art when you keep calm, train your hands and refresh mind. Thanks for that!

Richard was very knowledgeable and professional. We learned some beautiful Chinese calligraphy brush work. Really enjoyed the session. He also shared with us some lovely Chinese tea.

We had a nice time learning basic strokes of calligrqphy. Very pedagogical teaching and we got to keep a nice plate with our finished calligraphy photo in the end.

I had a great time, the teacher Richard was amazing snd very knowledgeable. I learned a lot, thank you. Definitely one of my favourite activities did in Beijing.

Excellent introduction into the art of Chinese calligraphy and a beautiful way to practice concentration and inner calm. Richard lead the class with attention to detail and shared guiding principles not only on how to hold and move the brush, but also about the right mindset of a calligraphy practitioner. A word of wisdom to remember: don't practice until you get it right, practice until you can't get it wrong.

This was a great experience and super fun. Richard was really attentive. We thoroughly enjoyed and would highly recommend for individuals, couples or families.

It was great experience with good explanation about calligraphy and philosophy of writing. I’ve been with my daughter, we were impressed. Definitely its worth it.

Amazing experience definitely recommend! Had a really fun time with my partner, this was the best local experience in Beijing

My fiance and I went to this experience during our Beijing visit and we are really glad to have done it. The host was amazing and it was such an important cultural experience to actually try calligraphy for the first time. 100% recommended.

Loved tgis experience so much, Richard was very helpful, especially as we were late due to getting lost. Great activity, definitely recommend, plenty of knowledge and local expertise too ! Thank you.

My wife and son had an amazing experience and we all got a wonderful insight in Chinese culture. The teacher was really a interesting and insightful person.