Chinese Writing Day: history, legend, and modern significance
Every year on April 20, the UN system celebrates a special occasion: Chinese Writing Day. The date was not chosen at random: it coincides with the beginning of the «Guyu» season (谷雨) in the traditional Chinese agricultural calendar, whose name means «Grain Rain». According to an ancient legend, on this day more than 5,000 years ago the sage Cang Jie, revered as the «forefather of Chinese writing», created the first characters. This great event so moved the heavens that grain rained down on the earth, bestowing abundance on people. In remembrance of this legend, April 20 was officially established in 2010 as Chinese Writing Day at the UN, at the initiative of the Chinese delegation (although the first celebration took place on November 12, as we reported in 2011).
The year 2026 is especially significant for this holiday, celebrated under the theme «Brushes and Ink in Harmony, Brilliant Chapters Created Together» (翰墨和鸣 华章同赋). This year’s celebrations also coincide with an important historical milestone: the 80th anniversary of Chinese being recognized as an official UN language and the 55th anniversary of the restoration of the PRC’s lawful rights in the organization.
Large-scale celebrations took place worldwide. At UN headquarters in New York, a formal ceremony welcomed more than 200 distinguished guests, including China’s Permanent Representative Fu Cong and UN Under-Secretaries-General. Guests enjoyed musical performances, the song «I Love You, China» sung by an American singer, and demonstrations of modern technology, particularly AI for translation. In Geneva, the event brought together around 400 participants from 30 countries, who explored the culture through traditional cuisine, interactive activities involving intangible heritage, and folk ensemble performances. In Vienna, guests were introduced to the «Taihe» digital exhibition of the Forbidden City, while at UNESCO headquarters in Paris they could view unique pieces by Chinese artisans working in decorative and applied arts.
On this day, Chinese, with its millennia of history and more than a billion users, appeared not merely as a means of communication but also as a powerful bridge connecting civilizations and opening a window onto the unique world of Eastern culture.
Image taken from the blog page 老特有话说