Kuching: For more than five decades, Chinese calligraphy has been more than a hobby for Kho Kheng Hee, it has been a lifelong discipline rooted in culture and self-improvement. As Chinese New Year 2026 approaches, ushering in the Year of the Horse, the 71-year-old calligrapher is busy preparing festive couplets and auspicious characters, a tradition he believes carries meaning beyond decoration.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Kho was born in 1955 to a modest family in Kuching and developed an interest in Chinese ink painting and calligraphy during his secondary school days at Chung Hua Middle School No. 1. Financial constraints later led him to focus on building a career in the advertising industry, but his passion for the art never faded. After earning a Master of Executive Business Administration in the early 2000s, he decided to pursue formal training to deepen his understanding. Between 2017 and 2019, he travelled to China every two months to further his studies at Jinan University in Guangzhou. At 64, he completed a Master of Arts in Literature at Northwest University in Xi'an.
The Kuching Chinese Culture and Arts Promotion Association president said he only began teaching about four years ago, stressing that balance and focus are just as important as technique. Kho emphasized that mastery of the art is essential before teaching others. For this year's celebration, many of the couplets he composes incorporate the horse, symbolising strength, speed, perseverance, and progress. He likened the process of selecting words for Chinese New Year couplets to composing a pantun in Malay culture, where careful word choice conveys layered meaning and values.
Kho's students, like Jeff Ng, have found personal and cultural enrichment through studying calligraphy. For Kho, the festive season is the busiest time of the year as he prepares numerous sets of couplets bearing phrases symbolising prosperity, harmony, and renewal, with this year's works highlighting the horse motif. Despite the availability of printed decorations, Kho believes in the irreplaceable personal touch of handwritten pieces. As a judge for calligraphy competitions in local schools, he has observed growing participation, including among non-Chinese students, and hopes that young people will continue to appreciate the cultural and philosophical depth of Chinese calligraphy, especially during Chinese New Year.