From China Minutes: Hanzi of the West, Letters of the East Exhibition Opens in London
On November 22th, 2025, a special event for the Hanzi of the West, Letters of the East was held at the Also like Gallery in London exploring the evolution of Chinese characters and their role in cultural exchange between China and the West.
Chinese characters, known in Mandarin Chinese as Hanzi, have been an important carrier of Chinese civilization. Evolving over thousands of years, they are not only deeply rooted in the daily life of Chinese, but also constantly break boundaries through exchanging information and ideas between civilisations.
The exhibition was jointly sponsored by Tongji University and Art and Design Magazine, opening at the Also like Gallery in London from November 19th to 23rd.
More than 100 original Chinese character themed works with historical and cultural heritage and innovative design concepts were displayed in the exhibition. They included everything from book binding, special costumes, and art installations to creative cultural products.
Li Liyan, Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom, speaking at the event.
At the beginning of the special event on November 22nd, Li Liyan, Minister Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom, delivered a speech. He said, “Writing is the carrier of in heriting civilization, and language is abridge to enhance understanding. Chinese belongs not only to China, but also to the world, and is a public cultural product contributed by the Chinese people to all mankind. He also emphasized: “This exhibition is the result of exchanges between China and the United Kingdom…promoting the continuous deepening of mutual learning and people-to-people interaction between China and the UK with culture and creativity as a link.”
This exhibition focuses on the concept of Dialogue between Chinese Characters and Letters with four sections of “Wenyuan Yinghua“, “Opening China“, “Rhyming Chinese Characters“ and “Chinese Character Renewal“. The exhibition incorporated immersive space, creative installations and design works which reflect the cultural heritage and visual tension of Chinese characters. Among them, “Wenyuan Yinghua” presents the origin and evolution of Chinese characters, looking back at the indissoluble bond between characters and Sino-British cultural exchanges.
Meanwhile, “Open China” focuses on the graphic expression of Chinese characters in contemporary book design, showing how fonts and typography have become the cultural key to opening China. The “Rhyme Chinese Characters” section integrates Chinese character elements into the design of daily clothing, accessories and crafts, showing how the beauty of words extends to the details of life in a figurative form. Finally, the “Chinese character renewal“ is facing the future and explores the resonance trajectory of Chinese characters in the context of numbers and interaction.
