International students show their artwork. [Photo/Yongpai App]

In a classroom at Russia's Irkutsk State University in September 2025, more than 20 students sat in a circle, brushes poised, as Ningbo artist Jiang Hongsheng guided them gently in English: "Don't draw the flower — feel it."

On sheets of Xuan paper (rice paper from Anhui province), peonies emerged in soft strokes, with one student titling her work Peace from Ningbo.

This moment captures the spirit of the Ningbo Red Peony International Cultural Exchange Project, a grassroots initiative that has carried Chinese ink art from China to campuses across Asia, Europe, and the United States.

What began in a small community classroom in Zhenhai district has grown into more than 10 permanent teaching sites in Ningbo, offering weekly free lessons to international students, professionals, and travelers.

Over 12 years, Jiang has taught more than 20,000 students from 170 countries, turning these spaces into open ink salons where tea, paper, and brushwork introduce the rhythm and philosophy of Chinese aesthetics.

The project now travels widely — hosting workshops in Malaysia, Thailand, Russia, and the US — using movement, emotion, and simplicity to communicate traditional art.

Its influence continues through a global network of former students who organize exhibitions, promote Ningbo, and share Chinese culture in their own communities.

Quietly and steadily, the red peony project shows how ink, without words, can build understanding across continents.

International students learn to draw peonies. [Photo/Yongpai App]