Hidden Letters

For thousands of years, most Chinese women were forbidden to read or write. So the women of Jiangyong county, Hunan province, created their own way to communicate: Nüshu, a script men could not decipher. Never spoken, women would chant Nüshu songs or poems at gatherings or embroider them on fans. Over time, Nüshu faded from use but Hu Xin, a young woman from the region, and Shanghai soprano Simu are determined to keep this unique script alive. Lamentably gender discrimination is still alive and well and both women struggle to be heard, much like their sisters of yore.