Why did ancient Chinese people write from right to left when everyone else writes from left to right?

Why did ancient Chinese people write vertically from top to bottom and from right to left?

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From the characteristics of Han characters and human habits

From the characteristics of Han characters and human physiological habits, the natural stroke order of a character is from top to bottom and from left to right. If writing horizontally from right to left, when writing in the left half, the pen will block the right half of the character stroke, which is inconvenient for structuring and affects the beauty of the characters.

The final stroke of each Chinese character is in the middle or below the right side, and the final stroke of the previous character is followed by the starting stroke of the next character. Writing vertically is more convenient for the smooth flow of strokes than writing horizontally.

From the characteristics of Han characters and human physiological habits, the natural stroke order of a character is from top to bottom and from left to right.

Purposeful

Writing from right to left has been passed down from ancestors as a custom, and although it is inconvenient, it must still be followed. Only after the 1911 Xinhai Revolution, based on the advantages of Western culture and in accordance with the international community, the form of writing Han characters gradually changed to horizontal writing, from left to right as it is today.

Writing materials

In ancient times, the Han Chinese not only used turtle shells, animal bones… to carve characters, but also bamboo slips and wooden slats were used by ancient people to write and record.

Bamboo slips and wooden slats were also used by ancient people to write and record.

This method has been in use since the Eastern Zhou Dynasty to the Wei and Jin Dynasties. There are also records that it appeared as early as the Yin Dynasty. According to current records, bamboo slips appeared earliest in the Warring States period because they were found when excavating the Tomb of Tang Hou At in Tuyi County, Hubei Province, and the latest is the Wei and Jin period. In ancient times, people used bamboo slips, wooden slats to make books very commonly. From important papers such as royal letters, documents to personal letters, copies, calendars, music… all used bamboo slips, or wooden slats. These findings and research are considered one of the important achievements of modern academic circles.

Each bamboo slip is about 1 cm wide and is written in a vertical line. Because bamboo slips can have different lengths, the number of characters written also varies. In addition, there is a type of bamboo slip that is about 2 cm wide, and each slip is written with two vertical lines. This type of slip is called “Lianghang” (two lines). Regular wooden slips are wider than these “Lianghang” bamboo slips, they can be up to 6 cm wide, and in reality, they already have the form of a sheet, so they are also called “Thuban”.

These slips are commonly bound into books with silk threads or thorns. People bind the slips into books first, then write on the slips, leaving the outside of the thread blank, without writing.

Because the process of making bamboo slips and wooden slats is quite complex. Moreover, the number of characters written on the slips is limited and not many, so it is inconvenient to carry them. Therefore, in the Qin and Han dynasties, thin silk became the most important material for writing. People used thin silk to write books, called “silk books”.

Later, when papermaking techniques appeared and continued to be improved, bamboo slips and wooden slats were gradually eliminated. Paper became the most important and popular material for writing.

Respecting the Principle

Chinese characters are written from top to bottom and from right to left, which also reflects the traditional thinking of the ancients. In ancient times, the Emperor was the ruler and parent; next were scholar-officials and military officers. The right side is big and the left side is small. “There is nothing better than the principle” – meaning that the ancients always put the principle first.

Related to ancient inscription on stone

Arabic and Hebrew are written from right to left. It is said that this is related to the ancient inscription on stones. For ordinary people, if you hold a drill in your left hand and a hammer in your right hand, the natural engraving direction is from right to left.

Frequently asked questions

Writing from right to left can be inconvenient as it blocks the view of the character’s right half, making structuring difficult and impacting the overall beauty of the character.

The final stroke of a Chinese character is typically in the middle or below the right side. When writing vertically, the starting stroke of the next character follows the final stroke of the previous one, creating a smooth and natural flow.

Writing from right to left was a traditional custom, although it posed some inconveniences. This practice was eventually changed after the 1911 Xinhai Revolution, influenced by Western culture and alignment with international standards.

Ancient Han Chinese used a variety of materials for writing, including turtle shells, animal bones, bamboo slips, and wooden slats. Bamboo slips and wooden slats were commonly used for writing and recording important documents, letters, and even music.

The use of bamboo slips and wooden slats dates back to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and continued through the Wei and Jin Dynasties, with some records suggesting their appearance as early as the Yin Dynasty. Each bamboo slip is about 1 cm wide and written vertically. They were bound into books using silk threads or thorns, with writing on the inner side of the slips.

Thin silk was valued for writing during the Qin and Han dynasties due to the limited writing space on bamboo slips and wooden slats, making it inconvenient to carry a large number of slips. Silk books offered a more convenient and portable alternative.

Writing Chinese characters from top to bottom and right to left aligns with the ancient belief of “nothing better than the principle,” indicating that principles should always come first. This direction also symbolizes the hierarchy, with the emperor as the ruler and parent, followed by scholar-officials and military officers.

Yes, the direction of writing Chinese characters is said to be related to ancient inscriptions on stone. Holding a drill in the left hand and a hammer in the right hand would naturally result in engraving from right to left.
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