Design finds a new language

The intrinsic beauty of the square Chinese characters is the focus of an ongoing contest for young designers. Fang Aiqing reports.

A group of young designers are integrating the aesthetic elements of hanzi (Chinese characters) into their designs. And inspired by the stories about the hanzi, they aim to make the characters part of people's daily lives.

The designers are taking part in The Beauty of Chinese Characters: Global Youth Design Contest being held by Beijing Normal University and the Academy of Arts and Design at Tsinghua University.

Hanzi is one of the world's oldest hieroglyphics and has been one of the main carriers of Chinese cultural connotations for millennia. But, according to French Sinologist Joel Bellassen, people should also focus on the intrinsic beauty of the square Chinese characters.

Recognizing this aesthetic potential, this year's contest is asking young designers aged between 18 and 44 from around the globe to create designs that are inspired by 30 Chinese characters.