Wang Chaozhu, the elderly calligrapher from Shanxi Province who wrote the station names for Shenzhen Metro Line 10, arrived in the city on April 3 to a warm and enthusiastic reception from local netizens.

Earlier today, Shenzhen Metro posted a photo on its official Weibo account showing Wang standing next to the sign for Donggua Ling Station on Line 10. The post quickly went viral, with many netizens commenting, “Welcome, ‘Grandfather,’ to Shenzhen!”

Wang writes a calligraphy work at Gangxia North Station along Line 10. 

The affectionate nickname “Grandfather” stemmed from a social media post by Wang’s granddaughter, Zhang Jiahui, on March 27. Zhang, a university student, had asked online users for help, saying, “My grandfather wrote the station names, but he’s never been to Shenzhen. I hope someone can take photos of the signs along Line 10.”

The heartfelt request sparked an outpouring of support from Shenzhen residents, who visited metro stations to take photos of the signs. Within days, Zhang’s comment section was flooded with images. Netizens not only shared their photos but also expressed their admiration for Wang’s calligraphy.

Wang explained that he first learned about the calligraphy competition for Shenzhen Metro Line 10 from fellow calligraphers. Encouraged by friends, he submitted his work. He wasn’t aware of how many submissions there were or what made his work stand out, but when he was asked to write most of the station names on Line 10, he was thrilled.

“Thank you to Shenzhen Metro and the people of Shenzhen! There are many calligraphers better than me, and I still have much to improve. The love I’ve received has made my family so happy, and I will continue to strive for excellence,” Wang said, expressing his gratitude after visiting the stations he had worked on today.

Wang’s granddaughter, Zhang Jiahui, added, “The warmth and friendliness of Shenzhen’s people can only truly be understood by experiencing it firsthand. We’re deeply grateful to Shenzhen!”

In addition to touring the stations along Line 10, Wang made a special visit to Gangxia North Station, known for its striking architecture and often called the “most beautiful” Metro station.

There, Wang wrote the characters “情滿(mǎn)鵬城” (Full of Love for Shenzhen) in large calligraphy as a public display of his appreciation for the city and its people.

During his four-day visit, Wang and his family visited the Guangyayuan Station on Metro Line 10. In 2020, at the introduction of fellow calligraphers in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi Province, Wang submitted a work  landmarks such as the "magic" Shenzhen Library North Division in Longhua District, Gankeng Hakka Town in Longgang District.

Wang visit the smart book storage system at the new division of Shenzhen Library in Longhua District.

Wang’s involvement with Shenzhen Metro’s calligraphy project is part of a long-standing tradition.

Since the opening of Line 1 in 2004, Shenzhen Metro has featured handwritten calligraphy for station names, adding a personal touch to the metro experience and promoting traditional Chinese culture in a modern context.

In 2019, Shenzhen Metro held a public competition for the Phase 3 expansion project, receiving over 2,200 submissions from 144 cities and regions across China. Wang’s work was selected as one of the winning entries.

Cheng Rong, an engineer with Shenzhen Metro’s Design and Construction Department, remarked, “From these submissions, we felt the affection people have for Shenzhen and their support for the city’s cultural development.”

To date, station names for 66 stations across Line 1 (Phase 1), Line 4 (Phase 1), Line 6, and Line 10 have been handwritten by nine calligraphers from across China.