Chinese calligraphy became a zest among many UN diplomats as a three-month-long United Nations Chinese Calligraphy Training Course concluded here recently.

At the graduation ceremony held at the UN headquarters, Vijay Nambiar, UN deputy secretary-general, congratulated students in Chinese saying that it was "impressive" to see them attain great achievement in such a short time.

From April to June, about two dozens of UN diplomats and officials from countries of Egypt, Spain, Canada and Bolivia attended ten classes of Chinese calligraphy. The exhibition showcased the fine results of the course, which included works from simple strokes like "Shang, Xia" to Chinese phrases and idioms like "Mei hao ren sheng, Zi qiang bu xi", and even poems.

Guy Forgues, a Canadian lieutenant colonel from the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operation, told the ceremony that he became more and more interested in Chinese calligraphy. In writing Chinese, one could feel "rhythm, harmony and tempo," which makes a simple Chinese character into a piece of art.

"I must thank all my students and friends for their enthusiasm, intelligence and perseverance. Despite the language barrier, we have become close friends", one teacher said.