[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Society-and-Culture \ #Politics-and-Military # 乡 xiāng countryside; village ## Components [[幺 yāo]] ## Meaning It commonly refers to rural areas, villages, or hometowns. ## History The Chinese character 乡 (xiāng) has a long history of evolution. Originally, in Oracle Bone Script (甲骨文, jiǎgǔwén), it depicted two peole holding a tool, representing a settlement or village. As Chinese script progressed, the character underwent changes. It became more stylized, with the addition of marks to represent a fence or boundary around the settlement. Throughout its evolution, the character 乡 (xiāng) retained its fundamental meaning of "village" or "settlement." Today, it is commonly used in modern Chinese to refer to rural areas or communities. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[乡 xiāng - ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[乡 xiāng - bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[乡 xiāng - sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[乡 xiāng - cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[乡 xiāng - reg.svg]]