Learn how the character 文 went from being a term for the uncivilized in ancient China to referring to literature, refinement, and culture in the modern day
Some 2,000 years ago in the Yue Kingdom, far from China’s center, dangers lurked everywhere. On China’s southeastern coast, beasts were said to roam the land while oceans and rivers hid evil flood dragons, lesser monsters that caused storms and tsunamis before becoming full-fledged dragons after enduring a millennium in freezing water.
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How a Character That Once Referred to Barbarians Now Represents Civility is a story from our issue, “Education Nation.” To read the entire issue, become a subscriber and receive the full magazine.
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