Home \(\blacktriangleright\) Children and Youth Unit \(\blacktriangleright\) Arrows Website \(\blacktriangleright\) Symbols of China \(\blacktriangleright\) Activity 1: Chinese Script
Activity 1: Chinese Script
The Secrets of Pictograms: How to Draw a Word?
Chinese writing is one of the oldest and most visual writing systems in the world.
In this activity (written using Gemini 2.5 Flash AI), we will discover how each character (Hanzi) is actually a small and fascinating drawing of things from nature (sun, tree, person).
We will understand the unique structure of the script and experience the art of Chinese calligraphy.
Unlike our alphabetic script, Chinese writing is based on graphic symbols (pictograms) and does not reflect sounds.
Learning the script develops exceptional visual understanding and fine motor skills.
The art of calligraphy (Shūfă) is one of the most highly regarded arts in China, emphasizing precision, stability, and concentration.
The Activity
- Discovering the Origin: Display pictures showing the evolution of several simple Chinese characters (for example: 人 – person, 山 – mountain, 口 – mouth).
Ask the children: what does this symbol remind them of?
\(\space\) - The Calligraphy Mission: Use a thick brush and black paint (or even water on special paper).
Choose one simple character (like 大 – big) and try to draw it with precision and concentration, just as calligraphy artists do.
\(\space\) The Word Building Game: Display two simple symbols and explain their meaning (for example: 口 and 水 – water).
Try to guess together what new word (new logic) is created by combining these two symbols.
