Go Deep in Lijiang: Fascinating symbols of a living language

Pictographs appeal to different people in different ways. The glyph characters are fascinating because they appear to be like codes that have yet to be deciphered. In other words, to some people, pictographs are exciting clues that could unravel the past. This point is illustrated in movies such as "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) and "The Mummy" (1999).

Egyptian hieroglyphs used with other modern symbols in a Southeast Asian mall

Pictographs are also used as decorations to attract attention - like this one found in a Southeast Asian shopping mall.

Naxi pictographs in Lijiang, Yunnan

Others like the fact that the pictorial symbols convey a wealth of information. The pictographs used on this mural is an example.

In the province of Yunnan, there exists a living language composed of pictographs.

Widely recognised as the only living pictographic language in the world, the Naxi Dongba script and Pictographs are easily spotted around The Old Town of Lijiang - a UNESCO World Heritage Listed site.

According to the Glottolog database, the Naxi language is classified as part of the Sino-Tibetan language family. It thus belongs to the same language family as the Tibetan language used in southwest China’s Xizang autonomous region (Tibet). After all, Yunnan and Xizang are in such close proximity that they share a plentiful array of geographical, historical and cultural elements.

Language enthusiasts who are curious about the Naxi pictographs can easily find books about the subject matter in Lijiang.

Reporting by Yang Piyuan; Editing by Mo Yingyi; Photos provided by Yang Piyuan