Typically, countries around the world write text from left to right in horizontal lines. However, ancient Chinese writing follows a unique and distinct pattern. They wrote vertically from top to bottom and from right to left. But why did they write this way?
In fact, this has deep historical roots. To understand this, let’s first explore the origin and history behind the materials used for writing in ancient China.
Materials for Writing
Bamboo slips first appeared during the Warring States period. (Illustrative image)
In ancient times, the Huaxia people used not only turtle shells and animal bones to carve characters but also bamboo and wooden slips for writing and recording.
This practice was prevalent from the Eastern Zhou to the Wei and Jin dynasties. Some records suggest that it originated during the Shang dynasty. Currently, it is believed that bamboo slips first appeared in the Warring States period, as they were discovered during the excavation of the tomb of Zeng Hou Yi in Sui County, Hubei, with the latest examples dating back to the Wei and Jin periods.
In ancient times, bamboo and wooden slips were commonly used to create books. From important documents like royal decrees to personal letters, legal records, calendars, and music, all were written on bamboo or wooden slips. These findings and studies are considered significant achievements of modern scholarship.
Each bamboo slip measured about 1 cm in width and was written in a vertical line. Due to varying lengths of slips, the number of characters also differed. Additionally, there was a type of bamboo slip about 2 cm wide, with two vertical lines of text on each slip, known as “Liang Hang” (two lines). Standard wooden slips were generally wider than these “Liang Hang” slips, sometimes reaching 6 cm in width, and were referred to as “Shu Ban” (book boards). These slips were typically bound into books using silk or hemp cords. The slips were assembled into a book first, and then the text was written on them, leaving the areas outside the cords blank.
Given that making bamboo and wooden slips was quite complex, and due to the limited number of characters that could fit on each slip, carrying them around was inconvenient. Thus, during the Qin and Han dynasties, thin silk became the most important material for writing. People began using silk to create books, referred to as “Silk Books.”
Later, as paper-making techniques emerged and improved, bamboo slips and wooden slips gradually became obsolete. Paper became the most significant and widely used material for writing.
Writing Order of Ancient Chinese Characters
Most of the Oracle Bone script was written from top to bottom. (Illustrative image)
Based on historical artifacts unearthed, it has been determined that ancient Chinese writing did not have a fixed order or direction.
During the Shang dynasty, when writing Oracle Bone script, most characters were written from top to bottom, with some written from left to right and others from right to left. Why did this occur? This is because, when using turtle shells or bones as materials for carving characters, writing from left to right or right to left did not significantly affect the process.
As bamboo and wooden slips became the primary materials for writing, the direction of writing gradually became standardized. Han scholar Cun Qianxun (1910 – 2015) and other researchers pointed out that, although the reason for vertical writing cannot be definitively established, most characters written with a brush are predominantly from top to bottom and from right to left.
The Reason for Writing Chinese Characters from Right to Left
After the Xinhai Revolution, the order of writing Chinese characters changed. (Illustrative image)
The ancients wrote vertically primarily because before the invention of paper, they wrote on bamboo slips and wooden slips (bamboo and wood strips). These bamboo and wooden slips were long and narrow, allowing only one line of text. They were bound together and rolled into a book (similar to modern bamboo or reed mats). The very character for “book” (册) is a depiction of these bamboo and wooden slips.
In ancient times, when writing without desks, people held a bundle of slips in their left hand, while writing from top to bottom with their right hand along the slips. After finishing one slip, they would fold it to the right and continue writing on the next slip. They wrote sequentially from far to near their left hand until they were finished. This is why the ancients wrote from right to left (this was the writing rule on bamboo slips). When opening a book, it is more natural for the right hand to hold the heavier object, so the right hand would hold the book while the left hand opened it.
After the Xinhai Revolution, influenced by Western culture, the order of writing Chinese characters changed to the current format, which is writing horizontally from left to right.
