The character for lao, or "elderly", in oracle bone script.

This Sunday marks the ninth day of the ninth month on the lunar calendar — the Chongyang Festival, also known as the Double Ninth Festival, which China also designates as Seniors' Day.

From the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC) through the Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-256 BC), the cultural connotations of the character lao were steadily enriched. It came to signify not merely an advanced stage in life, but also a distinct social standing and a core set of ethical values.

In oracle bone script, lao depicts an elderly person with long hair and a stooped back, leaning on a walking stick. Replace the stick with the character zi, meaning "child", and the resulting character is xiao, depicting a young person supporting an elder and embodying the virtue of filial piety.

While lao evokes the twilight of life, it also holds traces of Shang Dynasty rituals and captures a hallmark of Chinese civilization: respect for the elderly and the prioritization of education.

As an old Chinese saying goes, "A senior at home is a family treasure." In ancient times, when technology was less advanced, practical knowledge and life experience were largely transmitted orally. The longer people lived, the more experiences and insights they accumulated — an invaluable asset sustaining the survival and progress of entire communities.

This instinctive reverence for the elderly developed alongside Chinese writing and gradually solidified into an ethical code deeply ingrained in the Chinese nation. Rooted in the earliest forms of these characters, this fine tradition still serves as a moral compass guiding people's conduct to this day.

— AD

The National Museum of Chinese Writing in Anyang city, Henan province, and <span class="epaper-contributor">Liu Hao</span> contributed to the story.

haonan@chinadaily.com.cn