183:. Her father Yang Shiyang was an open-minded country doctor. Considering that people who had studied Nüshu were more civilized and well-educated, he encouraged Yang Huanyi to learn it. At that time, one needed to pay to study Nüshu, so a fee had to be paid for learning every new word. Poor as she was, Yang never gave up learning; she earned money by working part-time jobs as well as picking beans and peanuts for others. "I was so happy first to learn how to sing the songs and then how to write," Yang recalled.
904:
916:
298:
Professor Zhao decided to publish a collection of Yang's works. In
January 2004, The Full Collection of Yang Huanyi's Nüshu Works was published with the help of some experts in Tsinghua University. The Collected Works of Yang Huanyi's Nüshu collects Yang Huanyi's Nüshu works along with their Chinese
186:
At the age of twenty-two, she married a man who was two years older than she, as her parents demanded. After they had been married three months, her husband was bitten by a poisonous snake and died. Two years later, she remarried He
Yuancun, who was a compulsive gambler. He was accustomed to leaving
155:
When she was young, Yang learned Nüshu together with Gao
Yinxian, the eldest of the seven sworn sisters who were the most authoritative speakers and writers of the female-only language, for three years. Before Yang got married, she and Gao already had become close friends. They cultivated a true and
266:
Nüshu. Additionally, Yang's death marks the disappearance of the female-specific language, which provides a method for women to share their innermost feelings through codes incomprehensible to men. Scholars once believed:" Yang is the last woman alive who grew up with nushu as a vital part of her
191:
to pay back the debt. As a result, Yang's family was deeply indebted and had to struggle against poverty. Although Yang altogether had eight children, only two sons and one daughter survived infancy for lack of cure and medicines and her second husband died later. Raising three children alone was
214:. This was the first time that Yang traveled far from her home and the first time the 86-year-old woman got on a train. She was extremely excited all the way, repeating that taking a train was comfortable because it was fast and steady. In this international conference,
54:
287:. As soon as they met, Zhao and Yang formed an inseparable bond. Yang donated her complete works to Zhao, consisting of over 35,000 characters. During her research, Zhao found that owing to Yang's lacking knowledge of square
262:", especially after Gao Yinxian and Yi Nianhua, who were also the inheritors of Nüshu, died. Yang's work has been preserved to let people know and understand Nüshu. Yang was a key figure in rescuing and protecting the unique
605:
222:, Liu Naihe, and other prominent academic scholars were also present. Yang, wrote and sang Nüshu, thoroughly presenting its charm as well as the wisdom and creativity of oriental working women to the conferees.
195:
At that time, most females were illiterate and considered the property of men. Women who learned Nüshu could share their feelings and experiences with other women in their own language. In 2002 Yang told the
241:
interviewed Yang at her home in 2002, Yang said that she was ninety-four years old. By that count, she was 96 when she died in 2004. However, on the other side, her age was recorded officially as 98 by
171:
and they were published in 2004. Jiangyong County offered Yang's living expenses and employed a maid to take care of her daily life with the purpose of rescuing and preserving Nüshu.
187:
home and gambling day and night, taking no interest in his family's affairs and leaving everything to Yang Huanyi. Every time he gambled away his money, he would sell pigs and
299:
translations. Writings include Yang's autobiography as well as laments, songs about making friends, marriage songs, folk songs, legends, translations, letters and so on.
152:(women's writing). Many people believe the language originated in Jiangyong County. She was the last person who could natively recognize, read and write Nüshu.
258:
By the end of the 20th century, after other users of Nushu had died, Yang was the only proficient user of Nüshu. Yang was called one of the "Living
Fossils of
202:, "When I learned Nüshu, it was meant to exchange our thoughts and letters with friends and sisters. We wrote what was in our hearts and our true feelings."
717:
267:
girlhood and adult life, the sole survivor of a tradition that will die when she does." Nowadays, Yang's descendants are quite unfamiliar with Nüshu.
582:
316:
225:
When Yang Huanyi was in
Beijing, she paid a visit to the Summer Palace, went to the Tiananmen Gate and came to the Memorial Hall of Chairman
730:
655:
179:
During her childhood, Yang Huanyi learned some traditional medical practices from her grandmother and specialized in curing pediatric
116:
291:, her works were free from Chinese characters' interference and this makes them more original to Nüshu. On the other hand,
957:
740:
108:
952:
642:
229:. To look at her Hunan fellow-townsman had been the first thing Yang wanted to do after she arrived in the capital.
867:
575:
735:
650:
444:
163:
Yang attended the
National Academic Research Seminar of Nüshu in 1991 and the World Conference on Women in
525:
192:
difficult, and she would seek solace and distraction by writing and chanting Nüshu during her spare time.
942:
568:
355:
947:
295:
characters are structured by four kinds of strokes, including dots, horizontals, verticals and arcs.
326:
276:
168:
872:
502:[Yang Huanyi, the last natural inheritor of the mysterious "women's writing", has died].
358:[Yang Huanyi, the last natural inheritor of the mysterious "women's writing", has died].
321:
288:
238:
836:
388:
920:
702:
697:
692:
627:
263:
198:
889:
783:
758:
725:
687:
280:
243:
141:
72:
763:
677:
24:
778:
149:
908:
773:
614:
936:
826:
818:
793:
768:
707:
554:
471:
414:
219:
499:
841:
808:
682:
20:
167:
in 1995. Her works about Nüshu have been collected by Zhao Liming, a professor of
877:
831:
803:
667:
882:
798:
226:
215:
862:
672:
601:
476:
449:
292:
284:
259:
247:
157:
53:
846:
788:
662:
211:
180:
164:
188:
124:
750:
632:
622:
591:
417:[100 year old inheritor of women's writing, Yang Huanyi].
145:
76:
148:
province, was known as the last proficient speaker and writer of
564:
560:
237:
The age of Yang is not exactly known. When a journalist of the
210:
In 1995, she attended the Fourth World
Conference on Women in
557:: Last Inheritress of China's Female-specific Languages Dies
317:"Last inheritress of China's female-specific languages dies"
156:
deep friendship and often corresponded with each other by
472:"Yang Huanyi; Last Speaker of a Secret Women's Language"
445:"Yang Huanyi; Last Speaker of a Secret Women's Language"
250:
expert Zhao Liming believes that Yang was born in 1909.
391:[Tale of the inheritor of women's writing].
140: – 20 September 2004), a resident of
855:
817:
749:
716:
641:
613:
83:
60:
36:
16:
Last proficient speaker and writer of Nüshu script.
555:http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/107963.htm
576:
41:
8:
583:
569:
561:
52:
33:
438:
436:
350:
348:
346:
344:
308:
383:
381:
379:
377:
275:In 1990, Professor Zhao Liming, from
7:
915:
731:Hunan University of Arts and Science
325:. 23 September 2003. Archived from
14:
914:
903:
902:
526:"China's Mother Tongue Is Dying"
532:. Kenyon college. 15 April 2002
506:(in Chinese). 23 September 2004
443:Henry Chu (28 September 2004).
421:(in Chinese). 22 September 2004
362:(in Chinese). 23 September 2004
129:
120:
112:
42:
1:
741:Hunan Agricultural University
134:
94:20 September 2004 (age 96-98)
64:
974:
868:Avatar Hallelujah Mountain
18:
898:
599:
51:
736:Hunan Normal University
283:to conduct research on
97:Jiangyong County, Hunan
779:Nü shu writing system
500:"神秘"女书"最后一位自然传人阳焕宜去世"
356:"神秘"女书"最后一位自然传人阳焕宜去世"
329:on September 24, 2004
958:People from Yongzhou
856:Visitor attractions
480:. 28 September 2004
277:Tsinghua University
169:Tsinghua University
117:traditional Chinese
953:Languages of China
322:Xinhua News Agency
289:Chinese characters
239:Xinhua News Agency
109:simplified Chinese
930:
929:
703:Luoxiao Mountains
698:Nanling Mountains
693:Xuefeng Mountains
264:cultural heritage
199:Los Angeles Times
102:
101:
965:
918:
917:
906:
905:
890:Fenghuang County
863:Shaoshan Village
784:Xiang embroidery
759:Culture of Hunan
726:Hunan University
688:Wuling Mountains
656:Greater Changsha
585:
578:
571:
562:
542:
541:
539:
537:
522:
516:
515:
513:
511:
496:
490:
489:
487:
485:
468:
462:
461:
459:
457:
440:
431:
430:
428:
426:
411:
405:
404:
402:
400:
385:
372:
371:
369:
367:
352:
339:
338:
336:
334:
313:
281:Jiangyong County
244:Jiangyong County
206:Visit to Beijing
142:Jiangyong County
139:
136:
131:
122:
114:
93:
91:
73:Jiangyong County
69:
66:
56:
46:
45:
44:
34:
973:
972:
968:
967:
966:
964:
963:
962:
933:
932:
931:
926:
894:
851:
837:Dong'an chicken
813:
764:Hunanese people
745:
712:
678:Yuanjiang River
637:
609:
595:
589:
551:
546:
545:
535:
533:
524:
523:
519:
509:
507:
498:
497:
493:
483:
481:
470:
469:
465:
455:
453:
442:
441:
434:
424:
422:
413:
412:
408:
398:
396:
387:
386:
375:
365:
363:
354:
353:
342:
332:
330:
315:
314:
310:
305:
273:
256:
235:
208:
177:
137:
98:
95:
89:
87:
79:
70:
67:
47:
40:
39:
32:
17:
12:
11:
5:
971:
969:
961:
960:
955:
950:
945:
935:
934:
928:
927:
925:
924:
912:
899:
896:
895:
893:
892:
887:
886:
885:
875:
870:
865:
859:
857:
853:
852:
850:
849:
844:
839:
834:
829:
823:
821:
815:
814:
812:
811:
806:
801:
796:
791:
786:
781:
776:
774:Xiangnan Tuhua
771:
766:
761:
755:
753:
747:
746:
744:
743:
738:
733:
728:
722:
720:
714:
713:
711:
710:
705:
700:
695:
690:
685:
680:
675:
670:
665:
660:
659:
658:
647:
645:
639:
638:
636:
635:
630:
625:
619:
617:
611:
610:
600:
597:
596:
590:
588:
587:
580:
573:
565:
559:
558:
550:
549:External links
547:
544:
543:
517:
491:
463:
432:
406:
373:
340:
307:
306:
304:
301:
272:
269:
255:
252:
234:
231:
207:
204:
176:
173:
100:
99:
96:
85:
81:
80:
71:
62:
58:
57:
49:
48:
37:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
970:
959:
956:
954:
951:
949:
946:
944:
941:
940:
938:
923:
922:
913:
911:
910:
901:
900:
897:
891:
888:
884:
881:
880:
879:
876:
874:
871:
869:
866:
864:
861:
860:
858:
854:
848:
845:
843:
840:
838:
835:
833:
830:
828:
827:Hunan cuisine
825:
824:
822:
820:
816:
810:
807:
805:
802:
800:
797:
795:
794:Yuelu Academy
792:
790:
787:
785:
782:
780:
777:
775:
772:
770:
769:Xiang dialect
767:
765:
762:
760:
757:
756:
754:
752:
748:
742:
739:
737:
734:
732:
729:
727:
724:
723:
721:
719:
715:
709:
708:Lake Dongting
706:
704:
701:
699:
696:
694:
691:
689:
686:
684:
681:
679:
676:
674:
671:
669:
666:
664:
663:Yangtze River
661:
657:
654:
653:
652:
649:
648:
646:
644:
640:
634:
631:
629:
626:
624:
621:
620:
618:
616:
612:
607:
603:
598:
593:
586:
581:
579:
574:
572:
567:
566:
563:
556:
553:
552:
548:
531:
527:
521:
518:
505:
501:
495:
492:
479:
478:
473:
467:
464:
452:
451:
446:
439:
437:
433:
420:
416:
410:
407:
394:
390:
384:
382:
380:
378:
374:
361:
357:
351:
349:
347:
345:
341:
328:
324:
323:
318:
312:
309:
302:
300:
296:
294:
290:
286:
282:
278:
270:
268:
265:
261:
254:Contributions
253:
251:
249:
245:
240:
233:About her age
232:
230:
228:
223:
221:
220:Zhou Youguang
217:
213:
205:
203:
201:
200:
193:
190:
184:
182:
174:
172:
170:
166:
161:
159:
153:
151:
147:
143:
132:
126:
118:
110:
106:
86:
82:
78:
74:
63:
59:
55:
50:
35:
30:
26:
22:
943:1900s births
919:
907:
842:Hongshao rou
809:Tujia people
683:Lishui River
534:. Retrieved
529:
520:
508:. Retrieved
503:
494:
482:. Retrieved
475:
466:
454:. Retrieved
448:
423:. Retrieved
418:
409:
397:. Retrieved
395:(in Chinese)
392:
364:. Retrieved
359:
331:. Retrieved
327:the original
320:
311:
297:
274:
257:
236:
224:
209:
197:
194:
185:
178:
162:
154:
150:Nüshu script
128:
104:
103:
28:
21:Chinese name
948:2004 deaths
878:Zhangjiajie
832:Stinky tofu
804:Miao people
668:Xiang River
415:"百岁女书传人阳焕宜"
360:SouthCn.com
138: 1909
130:Yáng Huànyí
105:Yang Huanyi
68: 1909
38:Yang Huanyi
25:family name
937:Categories
883:Wulingyuan
873:Mount Heng
799:Xiang Army
399:22 October
393:MZB.com.cn
333:22 October
303:References
279:, went to
227:Mao Zedong
216:Ji Xianlin
90:2004-09-20
718:Education
643:Geography
175:Biography
909:Category
673:Zi River
628:Politics
602:Changsha
536:22 April
530:LA Times
510:24 April
484:22 April
477:LA Times
456:22 April
450:LA Times
425:22 April
389:"女书传人传奇"
366:22 April
19:In this
921:Commons
847:Lei cha
819:Cuisine
789:Huaguxi
751:Culture
633:Economy
623:History
615:General
606:capital
504:163.com
212:Beijing
181:measles
165:Beijing
651:Cities
594:topics
189:millet
127::
125:pinyin
119::
111::
23:, the
592:Hunan
293:Nüshu
285:Nüshu
271:Works
260:Nüshu
248:Nüshu
158:Nüshu
146:Hunan
77:Hunan
538:2012
512:2012
486:2012
458:2012
427:2012
419:CCTV
401:2012
368:2012
335:2012
84:Died
61:Born
29:Yang
121:陽煥宜
113:阳焕宜
43:阳焕宜
27:is
939::
528:.
474:.
447:.
435:^
376:^
343:^
319:.
246:.
218:,
160:.
144:,
135:c.
133:;
123:;
115:;
75:,
65:c.
608:)
604:(
584:e
577:t
570:v
540:.
514:.
488:.
460:.
429:.
403:.
370:.
337:.
107:(
92:)
88:(
31:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.