Jiangyong Womanese and Womanese Successor

Jiangyong Womanese Successor Hu Xin

胡欣写的女书。　受访者供图

Womanese written by Hu Xin (the photo provided by interviewee)

女书传人胡欣。　受访者供图 摄

The womanese successor Hu Xin (the photo provided by interviewee)

胡欣写的女书。　受访者供图 摄

Womanese written by Hu Xin (the photo provided by interviewee)

女书，是目前世界上发现的唯一女性文字，起源中国湖南省江永县，仅在当地上江圩镇及周边一带的妇女中流传，属中国非遗文化保护项目。

Womanese, the sole women character discovered in the world so far, originates from Jiangyong County, Hunan Province. Womanese is listed in China intangible cultural protection program.

经女书传人和官方持续努力，江永女书已从过去众人不愿传承的局面，演变为越来越多本土干群及外地爱好者赴江永学习女书文化。江永县亦开发和生产了多种女书工艺品。

With continuous efforts of womanese successors and official institutions, Jiangyong womanese has changed the situation of the public unwilling to inherit womanese to that increasing local cadre-mass groups and nonlocal supporters come to Jiangyong County for womanese learning.

目前，江永县共有7位女书传承人，年龄最大的78岁。1988年出生江永女书文化村的胡欣是年龄最小的，她从小耳濡目染女书，2006年开始在江永县女书园做讲解员。

At present, Jiangyong County has 7 womanese successors in total, the oldest one aged 78 and Hu Xin born in 1988 as the youngest. Hu Xin began to be a commentator in Womanese Park in 2006.

“女书不能离开江永本土，我有义务把女书传承下去，一辈子守在女书园。”胡欣透露，目前，江永女书正在冲刺国际标准字符集，并积极申报世界非物质文化遗产，她也计划走进高校，用讲课形式传播女书和女书文化。

Hu Xin says, “Womanese cannot be alone without Jiangyong County; that’s my duty to inherit Jiangyong womanese. I will keep my life in Womanese Park.” Now, Jiangyong womanese is trying to be included in international standard character sets and world intangible cultural heritage. Hu Xin also plans to disseminate womanese culture in colleges and universities.

Chinese source: Chinanews.com

Original Link: 最年轻女书传人：“复活”闺蜜世界里的古老密语

Gendered Words: The world’s first womanese book in English

从2009年开始动笔写到2015年出版，台湾中央研究院民族所研究员刘斐玟花了6年的时间编写Gendered Words这本英文版女书，这是世界上第一本用英文出版女书文化的书藉。

Until published in 2015, Gendered Words written by Liu Feiwen for six years, a researcher of Institute of Nationality Studies, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, is the world’s first English book about womanese culture.

女书，早年流传于永州江永县，主要用于妇女书信往来、诉说感情。2005年，女书以“全世界最具性别特征文字”被收入《世界吉尼斯记录大全》；2006年，女书习俗被列入中国首批国家级非物质文化遗产。

Womanese, was mainly used to keep up regular correspondence and express feelings among women in earlier Jiangyong County, Yongzhou, Hunan. In 2005, womanese entered Guinness World Records as the world’s most characteristic characters of gender traits; in 2006, womanese custom was listed in China’s first national-level intangible cultural heritage.

“这本书通过讲述4位不同类型的江永妇女，透过她们的生命史，体现女书的文化内涵。”刘斐玟透露，最难的就是用女书表达妇女们丰富的内心情感。刘斐玟表示，希望通过这本书，让更多海外人士了解江永、了解女书。

“Gendered Words tells stories of 4 different types of Jiangyong women. They interpret womanese culture with their life. ” Liu Feiwen says. She admits that, the most difficulty lies in how to express women’s complicated inner feelings in womanese characters. She hopes that, this book can help more people to know about Jiangyong womanese.

Original Link: 江永女书第一本英文版书藉Gendered Words问世