Chronicles etched in time

The UNESCO Memory of the World Register lists oracle bone inscriptions - the earliest-known Chinese characters. Wang Kaihao reports.

When President Xi Jinping talked with US President Donald Trump at the Palace Museum, or Forbidden City, in Beijing on Nov 8, Xi highlighted that "China has 3,000 years of history using written characters" to his visiting US counterpart.

The earliest-known Chinese characters that Xi was referring to, were found inscribed on oracle bones, mainly turtle shell and ox scapula, and were used for the purpose of recording or fortunetelling during the Shang Dynasty (c. 16th to 11th century BC).