How did the Chinese written language develop?
Ancient Chinese writing evolved from the practice of divination during the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE). Some theories suggest that images and markings on pottery shards found at Ban Po Village are evidence of an early writing system but this claim has been challenged repeatedly.
How did Chinese writing change over time?
Simplified and traditional Chinese In the 20th century, written Chinese diverged into two canonical forms, simplified Chinese and traditional Chinese. Simplified Chinese was developed in Mainland China in order to reduce the number of characters and the average stroke count per character.
What kind of writing did the ancient Chinese use?
The early Chinese written words were simplified pictorial images, indicating meaning through suggestion or imagination. These simple images were flexible in composition, capable of developing with changing conditions by means of slight variations.
Why is calligraphy the most important art in China?
Chinese calligraphy, the stylized artistic writing of Chinese characters, the written form of Chinese that unites the languages (many mutually unintelligible) spoken in China. Because calligraphy is considered supreme among the visual arts in China, it sets the standard by which Chinese painting is judged.
When did Chinese become the official language of China?
Standard Chinese was adopted in the 1930s, and is now the official language of both the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan. The governments of both China and Taiwan intend for speakers of all Chinese speech varieties to use it as a common language of communication.
How did the Chinese language spread to other countries?
Language codes; ISO 639-1: ISO 639-2 (B) The Chinese language has spread to neighbouring countries through a variety of means. Northern Vietnam was incorporated into the Han empire in 111 BCE, marking the beginning of a period of Chinese control that ran almost continuously for a millennium.