By Prof. Dr. Ole Döring
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In the early 1980s, an almost forgotten treasure came to light in the county town of Jiangyong near Yongzhou, on the southern border between the southern Chinese province of Hunan and Guangdong. The ancient ‘writing of the ladies’, 女书 Nüshu, was literally hanging by a thread 1000 years after its undated invention: Mrs Yang Huanyi, the last person with a fundamental knowledge of nüshu, died in 2004 at the age of 96. She still had the opportunity to document her knowledge and notes on nüshu for posterity with the help of Zhao Liming, a professor at Tsinghua University.

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Late rediscovery

After spending several generations in the shadow of the new Chinese standard script and the ubiquitous Putonghua and being defamed at times as ‘feudalistic’, the late rediscovery, with the momentum of modernisation after Deng Xiaoping, brought the ‘ladies’ script to the attention of an ever-growing public, beyond specialist circles, in and beyond China. In 2002, it was included in the canon of the official ‘heritage of Chinese culture’. A national museum was founded and the Custodial Office of Nüshu Transmitters was established.

Phonetic symbols

Unlike Chinese writing, these characters are phonetic symbols. Their pronunciation reflects the meaning of spoken words - namely that of Tuhua: a dialect of the Sinicised Yao minority in Hunan. As it stands today, it comprises around 700 words or syllables. Their shape is derived from Chinese characters that follow a diamond pattern, consisting of dots and three types of strokes drawn with fine, even lines. The syllables were often written on paper and fans, but were also embroidered on clothing and belts. The earliest documented use of nüshu is on a bronze coin from around 1860.

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The dilemma with the grave offerings

From the very beginning, the interpretation of this document is faced with a dilemma related to its particular use: it was not primarily used to communicate and thus also preserve thoughts over distances or times. Burned as a death gift or buried on perishable material, almost all old texts in history have disappeared. The art of writing and reading remained dependent on personal transmission. For this reason, the content can only be understood indirectly, in particular through oral tradition or secondary texts. On the one hand, this creates the risk of forgetting and, on the other hand, that of speculative or manipulative treatment.

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Fascinating font

The most important source is still biographical records written by women in Jiangyong. They combine female perspectives with the creativity of a unique form of expression, personal stories with folk wisdom, myths and songs. Today, we encounter the thinking, speaking, singing, poetry and praying from this fascinating script in many different forms. Those who follow its trail encounter aesthetic pleasure, artistic joy, scientific treasures, social values and cultural power.

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Was it rebellion? Feminism?

Attempts to describe Nüshu in terms of the current zeitgeist are correspondingly problematic. As it says on Wikipedia as one of the few internationally easily accessible sources: “It is not known when Nüshu came into being.” This “when” is directly linked to the “why.” On the other hand, there is a need to create your own way of interpreting the meaning. For us, poetry and truth are only separated by a thin veil. It is easy to be tempted to give in to this tension: rebellion, sisterhood and feminism — much is attributed to the creators of the women's script.

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Appropriation often takes place involuntarily, but sometimes also with an agenda, whether it is of commercial or ideological interest. The impression of mystery comes primarily from confusion: you first expect to see something written like Chinese. Neither the sound nor the form will be associated with the meaning in this way.
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Yet the truth is much more interesting than projecting current ideas onto China's past. Colonialist appropriation and profit-oriented exploitation play an ambivalent role in the spread and veneration of ancient culture, which can probably only be ennobled through dignified treatment. Let us get an idea of the magic of this font by entrusting our perception to its elegant expression. The old sounds, words and stories then speak for themselves.

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