Calligraphy as Art

When I was in Zhangye, in the Gansu Province in northwest China, I saw men in a large open square practicing calligraphy.  They used broomstick length pieces of wood with a tip that is covered with a cloth that is then dipped in a liquid to create temporary calligraphy.  When talking with my nephew, who is living in the province, he said that usually people are reproducing famous poems.  In China, from a very early period, calligraphy has been seen as not only a decorative art form, but rather as a supreme visual art form.  The use of calligraphy on oracle bones dates back to at least 1000 BCE.  Some of the most famous paintings in ancient China have both drawing and calligraphy as equal components to the piece.  Alongside calligraphy, poetry is also a highly valued art form, so combining them is a high form of art, which can be practiced by ordinary citizens.  It is a mesmerizing thing to watch, and I think indicative of the culture.