Chinese Zhusuan, knowledge and practices of mathematical calculation through the abacus

Overview

Chinese Zhusuan is a time-honoured traditional method of performing mathematical calculations with an abacus. Practitioners can perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponential multiplication, root and more complicated equations by moving beads along the abacus rods according to defined formulas. Chinese Zhusuan has played a vital role in giving an impetus to mathematical studies, promoting algorithmic practices and fostering intelligence. Zhusuan oral formulas have easy-to-learn rhymes that represent specific calculation rules and summarize the arithmetic operations. Beginners can make quick calculations after some fairly basic training, while proficient practitioners develop an agile mind. Zhusuan is widely used in Chinese life and is an important symbol of traditional Chinese culture, providing a strong sense of cultural identity. It has been handed down through...

This record is imported from the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage public dataset as discovery metadata. ARED has not independently verified community authority, access protocols or local naming beyond the source record.

Community and Authority

Communities: China
Languages: Not specified in UNESCO dataset
Cultural territories: China
Countries: China

How the System Works

Language, Story and Memory Ways of Knowing and Knowledge Transmission

Sources and Evidence

Imported from UNESCO DataHub dataset ich001. Field-level provenance is retained in the record metadata.

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage ListsDataset

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Field-Level Provenance

title: UNESCO DataHub field title_en
preferredTitle: UNESCO DataHub field title_fr
summary: UNESCO DataHub field description_en
type: UNESCO DataHub fields type_of_element_en and type_acronym
countries: UNESCO DataHub field countries, ISO codes resolved with ISO-3166 regional metadata
categories: ARED category inference from UNESCO concepts_primary_names, concepts_secondary_names and title
relationships: UNESCO concepts_primary_names, concepts_secondary_names, type fields and World Heritage links
sourceUrl: UNESCO DataHub field http_url_en
rights: UNESCO DataHub dataset metadata license and license_url

Original Source Metadata

uuid8d7eb718-ea47-48a4-82ab-cc48b96f7cca

ich_public_ref853

inscription_year2013

title_enChinese Zhusuan, knowledge and practices of mathematical calculation through the abacus

title_frLe zhusuan chinois, connaissances et pratiques du calcul mathématique au boulier

type_of_element_enRepresentative List

type_acronymRL

countriesCN

http_url_enhttps://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/00853

concepts_primary_namesMathematics, Traditional tools

concepts_secondary_namesAlgorithms, Arithmetic, Calendars, Computers, Contests, Memorization, Mental development, Oral tradition, Poetry, Technical skills

main_image_urlhttps://ich.unesco.org/img/photo/thumb/08335-LRG.jpg

main_image_caption_enNot supplied

main_image_copyrightChinese Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association (CAMAA), 2010

main_image_authorZHANG, Jian

videoshttps://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/p6QNCEtnk94

images[object Object], [object Object], [object Object]

Why This Record Is Credible

This public record is connected to 1 source and has been labelled Source Supported. ARED separates evidence sources from cultural authority so users can see both provenance and review limits.

Cultural Access

Use this as public discovery metadata only. It does not replace community authority or local access protocols.

Relationships

Mathematics Traditional tools Algorithms Arithmetic Calendars Computers Contests Memorization Mental development Oral tradition UNESCO representative list

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