The earliest record of the Chinese abacus, known as suanpan (counting tray), is an illustration from Supplementary Notes on the Art of Figures by Xu Yue. Many early civilisations, including the Babylonians and Egyptians, utilised a rudimentary form of the abacus, but it was the Persians who exported the abacus to Europe and Asia. The abacus is the oldest and most widely used tool for calculation in the world, appearing in Mesopotamia as early as 2700– 2300 BC. In 2013, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), recognising the broad cultural impact and symbolic resonance of zhusuan-and by extension, the abacus-officially listed Chinese zhusuan as an intangible cultural heritage element. While the origin of the abacus itself remains unknown, China can claim the best and most widespread method for using it: zhusuan. Many factors contribute to the staying power of this ancient device – it’s cheap to produce, easy to use, and requires no electricity-but perhaps the most significant is the same factor that has cemented its place in Chinese culture. Kong and Macao, particularly those selling traditional Chinese medicine, use abacuses, and it is much the same in Chinatowns in North America. The abacus has been used in China for millennia, and although its popularity has declined since the invention of hand‐held electronic calculators in the 1970s, it remains in widespread use among traders and clerks in Asia and Africa, in shops, restaurants and street stalls. The beads are moved up and down during calculation.The abacus has been a tool of calculation widely used in China for nearly 2,000 years, and it is still alive in Macao. There are five beads on the bottom deck, known as e arth. The upper deck, which is known as heaven, has two beads on each rod. It has two decks and more than seven rods. The Chinese abacus, also called suanpan, can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC). Since 2001, China has successfully applied for 37 items to be listed as World Intangible Cultural Heritages, including Kunqu opera, the shadow play and acupuncture.Ĭhina currently has 30 intangible cultural heritage items listed by UNESCO, the most among all countries throughout the world. The UNESCO stated that intangible cultural heritage could bring a sense of identification to the people who own it and it is essential to maintaining cultural diversity and human creativity. Today, the abacus has a richer value as a cultural symbol rather than a practical calculating tool. The abacus’s popularity has been compromised over the course of time by the emergence of digital calculators however, they are still in use in many of China’s rural marketplaces. It is regarded as the fifth invention in Chinese history and was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage in 2008. The abacus is an ancient calculating method with a history of over 2,500 years. The Zhusuan, otherwise known as the Chinese abacus was officially listed as an intangible cultural heritage at the 8th Annual UNESCO World Heritage Congress on December 4th in Baku, Azerbaijan.Ībacus nominated for World Intangible Cultural Heritage The Zhusuan, otherwise known as the Chinese abacus was officially listed as an intangible cultural heritage at the 8th Annual UNESCO World Heritage Congress on December 4th in Baku, Azerbaijan.
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