China is widely known for its ancient civilization which has continued all the way through into modern times, the fact that there were many ups and downs in its history. There exist many reasons this has been possible, but one of the main (factor) has been the Chinese writing system.
At the beginning, written Chinese was a picture-based language, dating back several thousand years to the use of longgu-animal bones and shells on which symbols were carved by ancient Chinese people. Some of the ancient symbols can still be seen in today's hanzi.
By the Shang Dynasty (around 1600-1046 BCE), these symbols (become) a well-developed writing system. Over the years, the system developed into different forms, as it was a time when people were divided (geographic), (lead) to many varieties of dialects and characters. This, however, changed under Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE).
Emperor Qinshihuang united the seven major states into one unified country where the Chinese writing system (begin) to develop in one direction. That writing system was of great importance in uniting the Chinese people and culture. Even today, no matter where Chinese people live or dialect they speak, they can all still communicate in writing.
Today, the Chinese writing system is seen in the development of Chinese characters as an art form, (know) as Chinese calligraphy, and it is also an important part of Chinese culture. As China plays a greater role in global affairs, an (increase) number of international students are starting to appreciate China's culture and history through this amazing language.
