Elwood 5566

천자문

For students, The Thousand Character Classic (천자문 – 千字文) is a central text in learning hanja and appears in various publications and formats. Written in China, by Zhou Xingsi who lived between 470-521 AD, it comprises 250 phrases  each containing 4 characters. Although it is unclear when the Ch’oen Cha Mun ( The Thousand Character Classic) first appeared in Korea, its use in learning hanja dates back to 1583.

The Ch’oen Cha Mun has appeared as a cartoon and forms the basis of numerous comic books with a didactic  purpose. I recently found this excellent pocket size edition.

Pocket size Ch'oen Cha Mun

Clear text but as would be excpected, no English translation

Cost – 5000 Won.

© Nick Elwood 2010. This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.