"Nvshu" is the only female-specific writing found in the world so far. It is spread in Jiangyong area of Hunan Province. There are no textbooks and no schools, but it has been passed down orally for thousands of years. In 2006, the custom of Nüshu was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists.
On the afternoon of June 29, the premiere of the documentary "Nvshu: The Rise of the Tide" was held at the Intime Creative City Store of Wuhan Bona International Cinema. The film is expected to be officially launched in August this year and will be broadcast simultaneously on online film and television platforms.
The film travels through Wuhan, Hubei, where Jiang Yonghe studied Nüshu culture in Hunan, where it was discovered, and explores the contemporary context of Nüshu culture in the blending and interaction of the academic, field and practical schools, focusing on the study of Nüshu from the early days of older generations of scholars to The intergenerational inheritance of the new generation of young people shows the cross-generational charm and vitality of Nüshu culture.
html On July 2, a reporter from Jiupai News contacted Li Qingfu, one of the starring actors in the film and an expert on Nüshu culture, and talked with him about Nüshu culture and inheritance in his eyes.What is nvshu?
Before talking about Nüshu, many people may ask, what is Nüshu? Or maybe some people know that Nüshu exists, but they don’t know what research value and practical significance Nüshu still has?
director Li Shuting also knows that there are many people who have such questions. Therefore, when pre-release of the film, she also conducted an interview with a group of people who knew Nüshu and asked them: What is Nüshu?
screenshot of the pilot film. Picture/@女书· Chaoqi
They answered this way:
I think it is a spiritual home for local women in Jiangyong from generation to generation.
From a calligraphy perspective, I think it is very close to the oracle bone inscriptions and has a strong sense of decoration.
The female book in my mind is a fashion symbol, which includes art and fashion.
It is not only a text, but also art.
I feel that Nushu has given me a strong power and charisma.
A wild rose in the mountains.
In my mind, Nushu is a cultural treasure. It records everyone’s joys, sorrows, and joys, and also witnesses the strength and independence of women.
is a monologue of the female soul.
is a carrier of wisdom, self-esteem, innovation and self-improvement, and is also a kind of spiritual sustenance for her.
is a symbol of creativity, wisdom and bravery.
It not only reflects the spiritual power and emotional communication of ancient women, but also is a cultural crystallization of the ancient Chinese nation.
In my mind, Nüshu is a symbol of female character, expressing vigorous and upward vitality, which is a kind of spiritual power.
may be that gentle (power), tough and powerful.
self-esteem, self-confidence, self-reliance, self-improvement, notes that fly with the wind.
Nowadays, you can inadvertently find Nüshu figures on social platforms, some with tattoo stickers and some with earrings. Nüshu cultural and creative products are becoming more and more common, and Nüshu has entered the horizons of more and more young people.
female book tattoo stickers. Picture/a social platform
In the comment area of these posts related to Nüshu cultural creation, some people think that although they can’t understand it, they think it’s cool, some people say it looks beautiful and powerful, and some people have copied and learned some of the vocabulary themselves.
Li Qingfu thinks this is actually a good thing, as everyone works together to innovate. However, some Nüshu texts on some cultural and creative products are irregular or wrong. “It would be even worse if it is fake.”
Nüshu: From text to the art of calligraphy and painting
Li Qingfu was the party branch secretary and director of the Central South University of the Arts Library. He is an authoritative expert who has studied Nüshu for more than 40 years. He participated in the performance this time as a representative of the "academic school" , which shows the current status and achievements in the field of female calligraphy research in China.
Li Qingfu is writing Nu Shu. Picture/@女书· Chaoqi
"We, one, two and three generations, are constantly researching and passing on the fire from generation to generation." Li Qingfu goes to Jiangyong, Hunan ten times or eight times every year, and the graduate students he brings are also Taking Nüshu as the subject.
Li Qingfu is a Guangxi native of the Yao ethnic group. When he was a child, he saw the women around him embroidering a diamond pattern. His study of Nüshu was both a cultural call and a mission for academic research and inheritance. But his students come from all over the country. He thinks this is because Nüshu has a certain influence.
Li Qingfu also introduced the difficulties in researching Nüshu. Although there are only more than 800 commonly used characters in Nüshu, it is difficult to trace their origins, and the concept of character creation is different from that of Chinese characters. Even AI tools are difficult to use. Academic circles also have different opinions on the standards and origins of many words. "If you study a word thoroughly, you can write a book."
He believes that the biggest problem facing the study of Nüshu is that there are fewer and fewer young scholars. But he is full of confidence in the study of Nüshu, "As long as it has academic value and academic vitality, sooner or later someone will come in."
Most Nüshu works are related to women's daily life. Picture/"The Mystery of Jiangyong Nüshu" Book Catalog
He also put forward three suggestions for the dissemination of Nüshu: first, strengthen the ontology research of Nüshu and unify the writing standards; second, strengthen joint research between local governments and scientific research institutes ; The third is to cultivate the heirs of female calligraphy from multiple angles and levels, such as inheritors, calligraphers, painters, and research experts.
What pleased him was that in recent years, although the information dissemination function of Nüshu as a text has been lost, it has been spread to a wider extent as an art of calligraphy. "It has transformed from a functional language into a calligraphy art," he mentioned. Now, an atmosphere for studying, communicating and exhibiting the art of Nüshu calligraphy has begun to form in various places.
Li Qingfu’s female calligraphy works. Picture/provided by interviewee
He also mentioned that the study of Nushu is similar to oracle bone inscriptions. Studying oracle bone inscriptions is difficult and may be full of controversy and challenges, but writing and appreciating oracle bone inscriptions is not difficult, so many people are now willing to do it. The same goes for writing Oracle Bone Inscriptions and Nu Shu. "Nüshu's childhood regional culture has slowly expanded to the mass art and culture of calligraphy and painting, and the mass base has suddenly expanded. Only with this foundation can culture come alive."
Jiupai News reporter Yang Dan
[Source: Jiupai News】
