A man walks through a sea of Chinese characters at the International Cultural Industries Expo held in East China’s Shanghai Municipality. The set was inspired by the script of the Kunqu opera “Six Records of a Floating Life”, depicting unique oriental aesthetics. Photo: IC
A Chinese lawmaker suggested the country should establish a national day for Chinese written language, to express the country’s culture and confidence, and to break the discourse monopoly of the West.
An Ran, a professor from the School of International Education at the South China University of Technology (SCUT) in Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong Province, and also a deputy to the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) told the Global Times on Monday that she delivered this proposal during the two sessions, because, since 2010, the United Nations has set the “Grain Rain”, the last solar term in spring in the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, as Chinese Language Day.
Moreover, on the Chinese Language Day, various activities are held to promote Chinese writing and culture in more than 190 countries around the world. The event has been held successfully for 10 years, she said, noting that the Chinese Language Day, which falls on April 20, could become the “Chinese Characters Day.”
The day will help promote the correct use of common language for the majority of young people, and refine the culture and national pride, which is also an important part of patriot education, An said.
According to the deputy, the international influence of Chinese language still needs to be improved. For example, in the field of science and technology, Chinese is not a language used in major conferences in the world, and Chinese journals are hardly recognized in the academic research world.
Studies have shown that the use of the Chinese language in the UN system is limited and has only been fully recognized in some specialized agencies of the organization.
“In order to timely and accurately convey the values of contemporary China, we must also enhance the influence of Chinese language and completely break the discourse monopoly of the West,” An said.
