Photo shows an oracle bone inscription. (Photo courtesy of Anyang Normal University)
At the oracle bone inscription information processing key laboratory at Anyang Normal University in central China’s Henan Province, a wall showcases the progress of research on Jiaguwen, or oracle bone inscriptions, through technology, bringing these ancient characters to life and highlighting the deep history of Chinese civilization.
To bring Jiaguwen into modern life, Liu Yongge, head of the key laboratory, and his team have dedicated 25 years to invigorating these ancient characters.
In the lab’s meeting room hangs a piece of calligraphy that reads, "Endangered but not forgotten; obscure but not lost." It was penned in the fall of 2023 by a teacher from a primary school in Beijing. Liu recalled that summer he received an unexpected call from the school. A teacher had seen the lab’s set of physical exercises designed based on oracle bone inscriptions online and wanted to visit. That fall, the school principal led a team to the lab, and the calligraphy was written by a teacher with a passion for brushwork.
Liu, who previously was a teacher at the department of computer science at Anyang Normal University, once spent three years making it possible to type out Jiaguwen on the computer. Then, he joined the oracle bone inscription image and text database project applied by Professor Han Jiangsu at the same university in 2004.
A student practices radio gymnastics inspired by Jiaguwen, or oracle bone inscriptions on the campus of Anyang Normal University in central China’s Henan Province. (Photo/Huo Yaping)
"I spent eight years working on this project, digitizing rubbings, research materials, and books to make them easily accessible to scholars," said Liu.
As the research deepened, a new initiative was launched to integrate the oracle bone inscription literature, catalog, and character databases. Open to the public in 2019, the platform offers free access and now houses 5,086 characters, 6,234 character forms, and over 30,000 research papers.
Liu said that the lab will continue to expand its data, using high-definition imaging, micro-trace enhancement, and 3D modeling to develop a comprehensive oracle bone inscription model. It will also leverage AI for data analysis, including character recognition, shape analysis, and the creation of a knowledge graph.
Soon, Liu and his team will travel to France to capture high-definition images of oracle bones at four museums.
"This project not only preserves oracle bone inscriptions but also supports ongoing research," Liu said. Using high-definition, macro photography, and 3D modeling, they will take over 150 photos of each oracle bone for comprehensive data collection, enabling digital restoration and preservation.
Photo shows the WeChat mini-program of "amazing oracle bone inscription." (Photo courtesy of Anyang Normal University)
Nearly 160,000 oracle bones have been unearthed at the Yin Ruins in Anyang, now housed in over 180 institutions worldwide, including museums, libraries, research institutes, and universities. Over time, many have weathered, broken, or even lost their inscriptions, making digital preservation an urgent task.
"In addition to France, we also aim to digitize over 400 oracle bones stored in Germany this year," said Liu, who added that last year, they brought back digital data for eight oracle bones from South Korea.
Liu and his team are also working to integrate oracle bone inscriptions into daily life. The set of physical exercises designed based on oracle bone inscriptions, launched by Liu’s lab, is based on 19 oracle bone inscriptions. Combining ancient characters, music, dance, and physical exercise, it has been promoted in cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, and Chengdu.
"Only by giving people the chance to engage with oracle bone inscriptions can we help them recognize, understand, and eventually love it," Liu said. "This way, it won’t remain a niche subject."
原文地址：http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0723/c90000-20344077.html