A calligraphy exhibition has been held in Beijing to boost cross-strait cultural exchanges between Taiwan and the mainland. The show "Inside Calligraphy: Works of Shi-yi Wang and Chao-ming Wu from Taiwan" displays and traces the shared cultural roots of the two sides.

Calligraphy is one of the profound cultural ties binding the two sides of the Straits. Officials from the China International Culture Association, Taiwan's Koo Foundation and dignitaries from the calligraphy world all attended the opening ceremony Tuesday afternoon in Beijing.

The Calligraphy works from contemporary Taiwan calligrapher Shi-yi Wang and Chao-ming Wu touch upon various styles of cursive hand and Han official script. The contents are taken from famous excerpts from well-known poems and works of literature.

Liu Deyou, vice-chairman of China Int’l Culture Association, said: "Cultural exchange like this gets to people's hearts and minds. It has built up a bridge, a bridge of understanding between both sides. And more exchanges of the kind will strengthen the bridge. There have been more and more people coming back and forth through the bridge. I hope there will be even more in the future."

The Koo Cultural and Educational Foundation, whose founder Chen-fu Koo died of kidney failure earlier this year, is an organization dedicated to cultural exchanges between Taiwan and other regions. Huai-chun Koo is the daughter of Chen-fu Koo , the late Chairman of the Strait Exchange Foundation. Just like his father, Huai-chun Koo has committed herself to improving cross-straits relations in the field of culture.

Huai-chun Koo said: "I hope that the Koo Foundation makes constant efforts to promote cross-straits cultural exchange on its own initiative. I am doing so following my father's will and as my own cause."

The exhibition runs until Sunday at Beijing's Yanhuang Museum.

(CCTV.com October 28, 2005)