To give its new retail store in Hangzhou, China, a proper debut, Apple enlisted the help of calligrapher Wang Dongling

Jan 23, 2015 10:51 GMT  ·  By
A still from Apple's short movie "Apple Store, West Lake - About the Artist"
   A still from Apple's short movie "Apple Store, West Lake - About the Artist"

Apple is opening a new retail store in China, one of the most important markets for the iPhone maker today. As part of its initiative to endow the Hangzhou sub-province with an iconic new venue, Apple hired famous calligrapher Wang Dongling to lend a helping hand.

What better way to promote a new Apple Store in Hangzhou if not with a gigantic mural stenciled with a 2000-year-old Chinese poem? Titled “Apple Store, West Lake - About the Artist,” the two-minute short film features Wang talking about the Hangzhou area and the West Lake region.

Another highlight to Hangzhou

Wang not only doesn’t believe the store will spoil Hangzhou’s Chinese ancestry, but he also actually considers it a good addition to the area: “To have a West Lake Apple Store in Hangzhou, it will also add another highlight to the city,” Wang can be heard saying in the clip. Towards the end of the short movie, he also recites lines from the famous poem:

Shimmering water on sunny days Blurred mountains through rainy haze West Lake is like the beauty, Xizi With light or heavy makeup, always beautiful

Born in Rudong, Jiangsu Province, China, Wang Dongling has a BA in the Fine Arts Department of Nanjing Normal University (Nanjing), and an MA in Calligraphy obtained at the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (now China Academy of Art), in Hangzhou.

The video is embedded below for your viewing pleasure. Apple seems to be ramping up its efforts to produce touching stories to promote various aspects of its business, and it seems these efforts are very well received by the fan base, and not only.