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This article introduces Dongba script, the traditional pictographic writing system of the Naxi people in Yunnan's Lijiang region, recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and the world's only surviving living pictographic script. Named after the "Dongba" priests who used it to write scripture, the script—originally carved on wood and stone before being written on paper—comprises about 1,400 characters that vividly depict daily life, labor, gender roles, war, love, and animals through direct, image-based representations, illustrating its shared origin with painting. The article also highlights Dongba calligraphy, noting how its simple, archaic lines convey both form and meaning, comparing it to renowned Chinese calligraphers like Wang Xizhi, Yan Zhenqing, and Zheng Banqiao, while emphasizing regional and individual stylistic diversity due to low standardization. Finally, it notes the script's bold, vivid use of unmixed primary colors, reflecting Naxi people's distinctive aesthetic sensibility and their culture's romantic, unpolished spirit—showcasing Dongba script as a treasured, multidimensional artistic and cultural legacy shaped by Yunnan's diverse social and geographic environment.
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