Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

Research Review of the Script Reform in the Late Qing Dynasty and the Early Republic of China

Xiaodan LiuYangtze Normal University*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

The Chinese character reform movement used to be an important study in language and writing work. As modern Chinese language, literature, and history disciplines continue to develop, the research on character reform is also deepening continuously. This paper explores the research on the Chinese character reform in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China in the modern era. It conducts a literature review of this reform from multiple aspects, including its purpose, reform directions and methods, specific practices, and impacts. From a theoretical perspective, by applying the induction method, comparison method, and citation method, and integrating other humanities and social sciences such as history, a total of 20 articles, including those from Peking University Core Journals and CSSCI, indexed in CNKI, are summarized. It is found that the relevant academic research in this area can be summarized into three major aspects: research on the purpose of the Chinese character reform movement from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China, research on its reform direction and methods, and research on the influence it had in practice. A brief discussion is also provided on the research findings in these aspects.

Keywords: Late Qing Dynasty and the Early Republic of China; Chinese Character Reform; Movement for Articulatory Phonetic Symbols
Published: September 9, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.HT26594
Volume: CHR Vol.81
pp. 113-122
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