Chinese characters and Chinese culture is indeed getting its attentions. No fancy stage, no A-list stars, just pure traditional culture. A Chinese Character Dictation Competition airing on CCTV has become a rage across China.
More than 20,000 junior high school students participated in the contest, with 15 making it to the final. This competition serves as a wakeup call to the Chinese. The more cellphones and computers people own, the less often they go through the elaborate sequence of strokes that make up Chinese characters.
The contest has unexpectedly rekindled an enthusiasm to learning traditional Chinese culture. And ratings have surged 4 times after the program first aired in August.
CCTV is planning to introduce more contests based on traditional themes to retain and promote Chinese culture.