This book conducts an in-depth exploration of the dissemination of Chinese characters in East Asia and the formation and development of Chinese character-based writing systems, emphasizing the unique contributions of various ethnic groups within the Chinese character cultural sphere to the evolution of Chinese characters. Based on historical research and cross-cultural comparison, this book offers a comprehensive and insightful perspective, revealing the developmental laws and cultural attributes of Chinese character-based writing systems in East Asia. It pioneers a new research field in Chinese character studies and possesses positive reference value for understanding the evolution of the Chinese character system from a more macroscopic perspective.

Wang Feng, of the Bai ethnic group, was born in Dali City, Yunnan Province in August 1971. He obtained his Doctor of Arts degree in 1999 and currently serves as a Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the Institute of Linguistics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. His research focuses on linguistic theory, ethnic minority writing documents, and the Bai language and writing system. He has published 6 academic monographs and 70 papers in academic journals.