BEIJING, May 18 -- The inaugural Chinese Character Festival has been held at the Confucius Temple in Beijing. Artists from both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan joined forces in presenting works of calligraphy, epitomizing the friendly cultural exchanges across the Taiwan Straits.

Sixty children read works of poetry in unison to open the festival's press conference. Taiwan lyricist Fang Wenshan and mainland calligrapher Yang Tao presented Chinese porcelains symbolizing ancient Chinese culture to each other.

Music and dance performances uniting artists from the mainland and Taiwan highlighted the beauty of Chinese brush calligraphy.

Liu Zhaoxuan, President of Culture Association of Taiwan, said, "I think this festival boasts a significant meaning. With the advent and popularity of computers and the Internet, we're writing less and less. I hope that children on the mainland and Taiwan can be encouraged to cultivate good writing habits, not only to write more, but also to write gracefully. This is extremely important for the promotion of the art of Chinese characters in the long run."

Wang Nengxian, Vice President of China Art Research Institution, said, "Although the writing forms on the mainland and in Taiwan are different-- We write simplified characters and they use the original complex form of characters, we are of the same root and share the same culture. I think we are one family and the two different writing forms are complementary."

The Chinese Character Festival heralds a series of cultural exchange programmes between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. They are to be held in September across the Straits, including calligraphy exhibitions, lectures, symposiums and Chinese character-inspired fashion shows.