Nvshu Sees Further Rise in International Influence

During the just concluded New Year's Day holiday, the shows of Zuogetang, a kind of folk custom featuring bride songs during traditional weddings, have attracted numerous visitors at the Nvshu Garden in Jiangyong County, Yongzhou.

Nvshu or women's writing, was originated in Jiangyong County, Yongzhou City, and has been passed down through generations by women in Shangjiangyu Town and the neighboring regions. It is the only existing script in the world used exclusively for women. It has been listed as an item on the Chinese Archives and Documents Heritage List and one of the first batch of the Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage items, and inscribed in the Guinness World Records as the "Most Gender Specific Language".

A work of Jiangyong Nvshu (Photo provide by the CPC Jiangyong County Committee Publicity Department)

Several projects aiming to inherit Nvshu culture have been completed in Jiangyong County, such as the Shangjiangyu Nvshu Culture and Tourism Town, Goulan Yao Ecology Museum, and Huashan Temple. An array of Nvshu customs have been recovered and promoted, including Nvshu chanting, Huashan temple fair, Douniu Festival (sister festival), and Zuogetang.

A Nvshu Ecology Museum has been built in the core area of Nvshu inheritance, with a 5,000-sqm Nvshu Garden. There is an exhibition hall and a lecture hall of Nvshu writing, and a digital museum integrating text, image, audio and video storage and searching functions, which will become a data base of Nvshu cultural resources.

Jiangyong County has set up 10 intangible cultural heritage (ICH) inheritance bases, three ICH exhibition halls, and two ICH performance sites. Among them, the Nvshu Ecology Museum, Qingxi Yao Museum, and Qianjiadong Yao Embroidery Workshop are widely known, with a collection of 15,330 images and 8,156 physical exhibits.

The Jiangyong government has promoted Nvshu culture on campuses, residential communities, and scenic areas, organized compilation of simplified Nvshu textbooks, and held Nvshu training classes for more than 2,100 people. 

Jiangyong Nvshu is showcased in Saudi Arbia. (Photo provide by the CPC Jiangyong County Committee Publicity Department)

In 2016, Jiangyong Nvshu made a debut at the United Nations' special exhibition celebrating Chinese Language Day in Geneva, Switzerland. Exquisite Nvshu works have been presented by Chinese leaders to foreign guests as a national gift. More than 60 Nvshu academic symposiums and over 120 cultural exhibitions have been held at home and abroad.

Jiangyong Nvshu has seen continuous rise in international influence and reputation.