Foreign friends appreciate oracle bone inscriptions and experience charm of Chinese Writing in Anyang

奔赴一“字”之约 品读何以中国

Foreign friends appreciate oracle bone inscriptions and experience charm of Chinese Writing in Anyang

Foreign friends appreciated oracle bone inscriptions. [Photo/Feng Xiaoyang]

当外国人遇上甲骨文，会碰撞出怎样的火花？年终岁尾，一群外国友人来到古都安阳，奔赴一“字”之约，品读何以中国，用一种特别的方式为自己的2023年画上句号。

When foreigners see oracle bone inscriptions, how do they react? At the end of 2023, a group of foreign friends came to the ancient capital, Anyang City, to appreciate the ancient Chinese characters and experience the charm of Chinese culture. In this unique way, they concluded their 2023.

12月28日至29日，由河南省人民政府新闻办公室指导，河南国际传播中心、安阳市人民政府新闻办公室主办的“爱河南·中原行——外国友人豫见了不起的甲骨文”活动举行。来自美国、波兰、马来西亚、蒙古、巴基斯坦、喀麦隆、新西兰等国的近20名外国友人齐聚安阳，邂逅甲骨文的前世今生，感悟中华文化的博大精深。

From December 28 to 29, "A Tour to Central Plains - International Youth Explore Extraordinary Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Henan" was held in Anyang City, Central China's Henan Province. About 20 international friends from the United States, Poland, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Cameroon, New Zealand, and other countries gathered at Anyang to appreciate the history of oracle bone inscriptions and enjoy the profundity of Chinese culture. The event is guided by the Information Office of Henan Provincial People's Government and hosted by the Henan International Communication Center and the Information Office of Anyang People's Government.

Foreign friends replicated oracle bone inscriptions. [Photo/Feng Xiaoyang]

千年而不衰 聆听历史回响

Standing Still for Past Millennia, Casting Echoes for the Bygone

岁暮天寒，余雪未消，安阳殷墟银装素裹，仿佛将时光拉回3000多年前。四周一片静谧，外国友人们沿着道路前行，脚踩冰碴发出吱吱的响声，好像开启一场与殷商先民的对话。120多年前，甲骨文在这片土地重见于世，将中国信史向前推进了约1000年，震惊世界。

As the year was about to end and the cold set in, remnants of snow were yet to melt. The Yin Ruins of Anyang City were draped in a silvery garb, seemingly pulling time back over 3000 years. In all that tranquility, the foreign visitors proceeded along the path; their feet spelled crunching sound on the icy ground as if initiating a dialogue with the ancestors of the Shang Dynasty. Over 120 years ago, oracle bone inscriptions were rediscovered on this land, extending the recorded history of China by about 1000 years. The world was amazed by the news.

马来西亚留学生林素慧是一名华人，从小说汉语、写汉字。她说：“我曾在历史课本中对甲骨文有所了解，而殷墟为我们还原了当时人们的生活。汉字文化博大精深，古人的智慧令人惊叹。”

Lin Suhui, a Malaysian Chinese studying in Henan, has spoken Mandarin and written Chinese characters since childhood. She said, "I had some rough understanding of oracle bone inscriptions from history textbooks, and the Yin Ruins have given us a fascinating glimpse of people's lives from that era. The Chinese characters contain profound cultural meanings, while the wisdom of the ancients deserves our admiration".

喀麦隆小伙儿托马斯既是一名留学生，也是一名拥有20万粉丝的博主。他将自己在殷墟的所见所闻拍成短视频，分享到社交平台，收获许多粉丝的热情互动。“当你了解甲骨文的故事后，你一定会爱上汉字。”他用一口流利的汉语说，以后将更深入地了解甲骨文，和朋友们分享。

Thomas Petchou Tassonwa from Cameroon, a student and blogger with 200,000 followers, documented his experiences at the Yin Ruins through a short video and shared it on social media, eliciting enthusiastic responses from fans. He spoke fluent Mandarin and remarked, "Once you grasp the narrative behind oracle bone inscriptions, you'll undoubtedly develop an appreciation for Chinese characters." Thomas expressed his eagerness to explore the study of oracle bones further and share his discoveries with friends.

Foreign Friends visited the National Museum of Chinese Writing. [Photo/Feng Xiaoyang]

甲骨新体验 见证焕活新生

A Fresh Experience, Witnessing a Revival

如今，甲骨文告别“冷门绝学”，走出“象牙之塔”，正在“活”起来、“火”起来。在中国文字博物馆甲骨学堂，外国友人体验了甲骨文的不同“打开方式”，以更贴近的方式触摸这一古老文字。在这里，大家参与甲骨文识读互动游戏，将复制的甲骨碎片拼合成一片完整的甲骨，临摹甲骨文写下“家和万事兴”“新年好”等祝福语，制作完成甲骨文十二生肖书法拓片，学做甲骨文广播体操……

Nowadays, oracle bone inscriptions are no longer a niche and arcane study; they have emerged from the ivory tower, coming alive and gaining popularity. In the Oracle Bone Inscriptions Class at the National Museum of Chinese Writing, these foreign friends experienced various ways to engage with this ancient script closely. They participated in interactive games to identify and piece together replicas of oracle bones. Playfully mimicking the style, they traced blessing inscriptions like "May your family prosper (家和万事兴)" and "Happy New Year (新年好)," made rubbings of the zodiac animals and even learned to do the gymnastics inspired by oracle bone inscriptions.

来自波兰的娜塔莉亚兴奋地说：“这一切都太有趣了！甲骨文广播体操有助于健康，动作与甲骨文的字形非常相似，很神奇。”她说，“我平时很喜欢写汉字，尝试这些有关甲骨文的新体验，可以获得很多灵感。”

Natalia Szpilarewicz from Poland remarked with excitement, "All these are fun! Gymnastics are good for health. The movements are very similar to the shapes of the inscriptions, which is quite amazing." She added that the exciting activities about oracle bone inscriptions gave her a lot of inspiration for learning Chinese.

在安阳师范学院的甲骨文信息处理教育部重点实验室，外国友人对话科研人员，了解“殷契文渊”甲骨文数据平台，对技术赋能甲骨文传承创新连连赞叹。看到走廊墙壁上的巨大甲骨文字，来自美国的弗兰克拿出手机扫描旁边的二维码，惊喜地说：“看，3D数字人在向我们展示‘冠’这个汉字从甲骨文到现代汉字的演变过程，真有趣！”

In the Oracle Information Processing Laboratory at Anyang Normal University, these visitors engaged with researchers to learn about the Yinqi Wenyuan, an oracle bone inscription data platform. They expressed their amazement at the technological innovation made for the inheritance. Upon the large oracle bone scripts on the walls, Frank Owens JR from the United States took out his phone to scan the nearby QR code and exclaimed excitedly, "Look at this, a 3D digital figure is showing us the evolution of the character '冠' from oracle bone inscription to modern Chinese characters. It's truly fascinating!"

Foreign friends visited the exhibits. [Photo/Feng Xiaoyang]

汉字了不起 感悟锦绣文明

The Marvel of Chinese Characters, Showcasing the Splendor of China

越了解甲骨文，大家越惊叹于汉字之美，越对文字承载的中华文明肃然起敬、心向往之。

The deeper their understanding grew, the more the participants were captivated by the elegance of Chinese characters. Their admiration and respect for the profound Chinese civilization embedded in these characters only intensified with each lesson.

来自美国的艾伦从小就喜爱中华文化。他说：“这是一次难忘的开阔视野、增长见识的旅程。在我看来，甲骨文向世界展示了文字对中国作为一个文明国家的重要性。随着时间推移，汉字不断演变，但是基本结构没有变，所以中华文明是一直延续传承的。”

Alan Gary Swope, from the United States, has deeply appreciated Chinese culture since childhood. "This has been an unforgettable journey that broadened my horizons and deepened my knowledge. In my perspective, oracle bone inscriptions showcase the importance of written language to China as a civilized nation. Despite the evolution of Chinese characters, their fundamental structure has remained unchanged, symbolizing the continuity of Chinese civilization," said Alan.

美国历史学教授盖瑞在学校教授中国历史课程，已多次到访过安阳。采风中，他主动担任起讲解员，兴致勃勃地向大家讲述。他说：“每次来都有新收获，这次又了解到许多甲骨文故事。我一直坚信，如果人们更好地相互理解，就会相处得更好。所以世界需要了解中国的甲骨文，了解中国的文字历史。”盖瑞也将自己的思考付诸行动，今年9月来安阳时，他拍摄了700多张与殷墟甲骨文相关的照片，上传到自己的科普网站上，向世界各地网友分享。

Gary Lee Todd, a history professor from the United States who teaches Chinese history, has visited Anyang multiple times. This time, he enthusiastically acted as a guide to share his knowledge. "Every visit brings new insights, and this time, I learned more stories about oracle bone inscriptions. I've always believed that better mutual understanding leads to sounder relationships. Thus, the world needs to know about China's oracle bone inscriptions and the history of its language," said Gary. He puts his beliefs into action. The last time he came to Anyang in September, he took over 700 photos related to the Yin Ruins and oracle bones and uploaded them to his website, sharing them with people worldwide.

盖瑞说：“要通过杂志、网站、海外社交平台等让大众更容易接触甲骨文，更多了解甲骨文，让大家深入感悟中华文化，促进文明之间的交流。”新的一年，盖瑞也有个小心愿。他希望通过更多人的努力，让中国字传承发展，让甲骨文走向世界。

Gary said that people should strive to make oracle bone inscriptions more accessible to the public through magazines, websites, and overseas social media platforms. This will contribute to a better understanding of these inscriptions and foster a deeper appreciation of Chinese culture. Through such efforts, the exchanges between civilizations can flourish. For the new year, Gary also got an aspiration that the joint efforts of more people may help preserve and develop Chinese characters well, introducing oracle bone inscriptions to the rest of the world.（中文来源/河南日报 记者/沈剑奇 童林 编译/童林 肖翊琦 审校/李文竞）