You're only as good as your word

"Chinese characters are beautiful. Calligraphy, for example, is the ancient art of beautiful writing," Wang says.

"We need people to regain their passion for the characters."

The production team selects words in common usage, but for many people it's still a challenge, Wang says.

Chinese characters are one of the earliest forms of the written language anywhere in the world, and "each character can take you on a fascinating journey through history and culture", she adds.

Chinese idioms, often with four characters in a group, also appear in the show.

"Many new words appeared as society evolved, and some of the old words got new meanings," says Wang.

As an example she cites yiguan qinshou, literally "clothes and caps, birds and beasts", which refers to a person who looks dignified outside but is a brute inside.

Yet, in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the idiom described the elaborate, well-tailored clothes of officials.

To reach a younger audience, the production team released cartoons online based on the experts' explanations about characters.

Stars, including actor Wang Hedi and singer-songwriter Zhong Yixuan, have also appeared in the show to attract a younger audience.