Rediscovering Chinese Characters

In recent years, the continual discovery and study of excavated texts have greatly broadened our understanding of the origins and development of Chinese characters, while also providing an important foundation for efforts to make this knowledge more widely accessible. Yet scholars note a significant gap between current popular books on Chinese characters and the latest academic findings, particularly in their explanations of how the characters were created and how they developed. Written by Ge Liang, an associate researcher and young paleographer in the Bronze Department of the Shanghai Museum, Rediscovering Chinese Characters: From Familiar Ideas to New Insights draws on professional expertise to explain ancient scripts to general readers in accessible language. It corrects misconceptions about ancient scripts found in traditional epigraphy and the history of calligraphy, and helps readers understand the patterns of character development reflected in the evidence, grounded in a relatively objective view that accords with the actual thought of people in ancient times. This accessible, semi-academic introduction is tailored to readers interested in literature and history, calligraphy and seal carving, collecting, or ancient scripts.