Forum examines writing's role

Tsinghua meeting highlights importance of characters on oracle bones and in historical texts in national origins, Fang Aiqing reports.

To study ancient Chinese civilization, researchers have to look into documents from previous eras, both handed down or discovered, integrate them and verify their accuracy, writes Qiu Xigui, paleographer at Fudan University in Shanghai.

"Otherwise it would be difficult to draw valuable conclusions," he says.

Although suffering from severe visual impairment, the 88-year-old master persists in his research. With his colleagues reading research materials for him and taking his words down for him, Qiu completed this essay delivered to a forum themed "Paleography and Chinese Civilization" held at Tsinghua University in Beijing on Oct 21.