WUHAN, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The athletes village at the ongoing Military World Games in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, has held an activity that allowed participants to practice Chinese calligraphy, which has drawn strong interest from the visitors.

Under the guidance of volunteers, many athletes were able to try this ancient Chinese art. They can use a calligraphy brush and ink to write a few Chinese characters and even see how their names would look like written in Chinese.

For international athletes from across the world, Chinese paintings and calligraphy are a top choice for souvenirs.

One of the volunteers, Huang Danping, said during peak periods, around seven hundred athletes came to learn calligraphy each day. Athletes wanted their names painted on T-shirts and the volunteers were happy to get it done.

Indonesian athlete Agus Prayogo bought a Chinese painting at the Village and said he loves Chinese culture, especially Chinese characters written with a calligraphy brush. The painting he chose featured a character "Jing," which means tranquility in Chinese. He said this character always brings a sense of the Zen Buddhist philosophy to his mind.