The Impact of Chinese Characters

Chinese characters are one of the most ingenious inventions of the Chinese people. China is a vast country the size of Europe. Two-thirds of China's total area is mountainous. In ancient times when transportation was underdeveloped, different regions were relatively isolated from each other, leading to the formation of numerous local dialects. People speaking different dialects could not communicate with each other. (See Tango Is a Language (II).)

To enable communication, the clever Chinese people invented Chinese characters, a system of ideograms. Each character represents a meaning rather than a sound. This way, people from different regions can still communicate through the written system despite their different pronunciations.

The disadvantage of Chinese characters is that they are difficult to learn. A person needs to master over three thousand characters to be considered educated. The complexity of the characters and large number of them pose significant challenges to literacy, as learning them demands considerable effort and time.

However, the advantage of Chinese characters is that they provide a unified communication tool for people who speak different dialects. Without Chinese characters, China would have fragmented into many countries like Europe. The common written language has played a crucial role in maintaining the unity and cohesion of the Chinese nation throughout its long history. It has allowed for the centralized administration of a vast and diverse country, facilitated trade and cultural exchange, and fostered a shared identity among the Chinese people.

In addition, Chinese characters have been pivotal in preserving the integrity of Chinese culture. Western languages that use the Roman alphabet are more prone to foreign influences. English, for instance, adds approximately 1,000 new words annually. This linguistic mutability contributes to the instability of Western society. In contrast, the Chinese language is much more stable and resistant to external influences. Its words and phrases are built from characters, making learning and coining new terms simpler once these characters are mastered. This distinctive character-based system has preserved the uniqueness and purity of Chinese culture. In many ways, Chinese language is the bedrock of Chinese civilization, with characters acting as its vessels. The enduring brilliance of Chinese culture is largely owed to the timelessness of its written script. Besides, as calligraphy, Chinese characters are an art in themselves and have had a profound impact on Chinese people's aesthetics.

As ideograms, Chinese characters carry meanings and values, such as benevolence (仁), propriety (禮), and filial piety (孝). China, with its long history, has a wealth of classical literature. A large number of Chinese words, idioms, concepts and expressions still used by modern Chinese people can find their origins in these classics. Understanding them requires some background knowledge. For example, the character 信 contains two parts: on the left is 人 (man), on the right is 言 (word). 信 means a man should keep his words, as Confucius said, "Man cannot succeed without good faith (人無信不立)." Chinese children learn their language by studying Chinese characters and texts, which encapsulate the wisdom of countless generations, embedding moral values and social sagacity within the very fabric of the language. Learning Chinese instills in students an appreciation of their cultural heritage and traditional values. This deep connection between language, history, culture and values gives educated Chinese a unique character. I often feel that the Chinese people are fortunate because their language makes them a wise, cohesive, collectivist, cooperative, moderate, and moral people.

In summary, the impact of Chinese characters on Chinese society is profound and multifaceted. They have not only facilitated communication, but also maintained national unity. The shared written language helps preserve cultural heritage and values, reinforcing social cohesion and national identity. Moreover, the moral principles and social values conveyed through Chinese characters and classical texts continue to influence contemporary Chinese society, guiding behavior and social interactions. The enduring legacy of Chinese characters is a testament to the ingenuity of the Chinese people and their ability to adapt while remaining who they are in a complex and changing world. (See Understanding China: Geography, Confucianism, and Chinese-Style Modernization.)