Abstract

This poster shall explore the individual components of the Mandarin Chinese character 国, which means nation, and its significance in Chinese society. The character is considered to have derived from the character 王 which means king, and 玉 which means jade. The presenter will seek to answer the question as to why this character is used to designate countries. The project is unique because it reveals the construction of Chinese characters in relation to the society they are created in. The presenter will include brief background information about the use of the character in China. Examples of the presenter’s calligraphy will be shown including the process of creating the character step by step. The presenter consulted primary sources such as Chinese language professors and read secondary sources in order to create a credible report. The presenter hypothesizes that the story behind the Chinese character is a reflection of the culture it was created in.