Meet Cat!
This is ME
I am a 16-year old high-schooler, a Nushu minority practitioner, a Sci-fi & Fantasy writer, young entrepreneur, and most importantly, an innovator that dreams BIG!
WHAT I DO?
Digital Nushu Museum
An Ancient Language over 500 years-old created by&for WOMEN
The Wooden Box and Waipo's warm hands
My journey and connection with the Nushu culture all starts with the mysterious wooden box brought by my Waipo(maternal grandmother) while I was in the U.S.
She opened to me a world that few knew existed, a world full of legendary female miracles fighting against patriarchal forces that forbids them from formal education.
They wrote and shared their sorrows and hidden hopes through Nushu language, with soot as ink and stick as pen. They bravely carved out a voice for themselves, and passed down this secret culture for generations, yet only through female descendants.
The Young Me
I was quickly amazed by the beautiful strokes and resilient spirit of Nushu, just like water---soft yet unbreakable. Thus, at a young age, I began learning Nushu with Waipo, as her warm hands guided mine with every elegant character.
This unique third language of mine (other than english and mandarin) gradually became a part of me, which gave me the strength and direction for my future aspirations.
Back to Jiangyong
As I grew older, and the more I learned Nushu, I felt my fate entwined with the women from Waipo's hometown, Jiangyong city in Hunan province, centuries ago. Hence, my family moved back to our hometown where I would discover a deeper interest and connection with Nushu.
The Endangered Culture
During the days in Jiangyong, I spent much time immersed in the culture itself by conversing with the old grandma neighbors and recording the ancient stories of women I heard. It is then that I realize Nushu was in an endangered position where only less than dozens of people from that small rural village knew how to read and write Nushu, let alone knowing the stories of the brave Jiangyong women. I knew I had to do something.
I developed a strong sense of mission to preserve and promote the Nushu culture with my unique and diverse experiences, aiming in becoming the cultural bridge between Jiangyong and the world.
Set off on my Nushu journey
So I then started my Nushu journey from small events, where I would introduce this unique culture with friends and teachers, volunteer for painting the class decoration board with Nushu characters, sharing Nushu stories and documentaries with the community. Later on, as my skills and ideas enriched, I also launched several entrepreneurial projects, Tea's Day and The Warm Hands E-commerce platform, to better promote Nushu and fulfill my own ambitions.
Nushu to the World!
As I progressed along the way, a magnificent opportunity came as I was honored to enroll in the 2024 Stanford Summer Session where I finally get to bring Nushu across the seas to an international stage.
That summer, I hosted two Nushu talks in Stanford campus. One in the Arroyo building and the other in the Green Earth Science building, reaching 50+ people on campus. I was absolutely surprised by how students and faculty from all around the world were captivated by this unique female culture. I was also very fortunate to have gained the chance to co-author an academic paper on the digitalization of Nushu with a PhD. student afterwards.
Nushu Photos at Stanford
Arroyo Building Presentation
Female Script (Nushu) x Technology
Displaying creative digital Nushu art-wokrs
A cute ending scene translated in Nushu!
A Big Thanks To My Dear Audiences!!
Introduction to Nushu at Green Earth Science building
Sharing some fun facts about Nushu :)
Kudos For My Dear Classmates and Professor!
Nushu & Technology
Digital Nushu Museum
Nushu Input Method & Font
Nushu Input Method & Font
Though the summer ends, my journey never stops. Inspired by the "Feminism and Technology" course I have taken with doctor Annika Butler Wall, I started blending more innovation into Nushu and designed a digital metaverse Nushu museum where arts, calligraphies, and women from the past could be seen in an accessible and creative way.
Nushu Input Method & Font
Nushu Input Method & Font
Nushu Input Method & Font
I have also shared my discovery of a Nushu input method where this ancient script can be displayed on computer screens! It can be downloaded through git hub. Check out the link below:
More photos about NUSHU!
My Future Nushu Journey...
As a young Nushu practitioner and cultural ambassador, I will keep on the preservation of Nushu in more impactful ways and carry on Jiangyong women's legacy of strength, hope and resilience.
Hop on Captain Cat's Featherine07 Spaceship!
Meet The Seven magic BIRDS!
“Once upon a time…on a magical planet located in the mysterious corners of the universe, lives the millions of wonderful birds and plants altogether.
They bathe in the beam of warming sunshine, doze under the serene night full of glittering stars.
They swim in the vast ocean of aquatic abyss, glide on the crystalline sculptures of winter.
They immerse themselves in the cradle of flowers, enjoying every inch of magnificent beauty.
They praise and bow to their divine mother star, burning with an enthusiastic blaze of cosmic fire, nurturing their planet, their people, and their mighty civilization built beyond the stars, with a history of 70 thousand years.
They are the magical“Featherine”.
Sunshine Duck: Nina
- Name: Nina
- Description: An outgoing, optimistic and imaginative little duck who loves going on adventures~
- Identity: A 9th grade student in the Featherling High school
- Magic: Sunshine power
- MBTI: ENFP
- Favorite Fruit: Banana
Aquatic-Magic Parrot & Pigeon: Chick-dd
- Name: Chick-dd
- Description: A serious, realistic and cautious worker bird (The hybrid of a parrot and a pigeon) who dreams of being his own boss one day.
- Identity: An advanced programmer working at the FeatherTech corporate
- Magic: Aqueous power
- MBTI: INTJ
- Favorite Fruit: Blueberry
Star-Light Duck: Niena
- Name: Niena
- Description: a naughty but smart little duck who loves to play video games and go on adventures with his sister Nina.
- Identity: Nina’s little brother, also a 5th grade student in Featherling School
- Magic: Starlight power
- MBTI: ENTP
- Favorite Fruit: Mango
Icy-Frozen Magic Owl: Binky
- Name: Binky
- Description: A wise, mature and insightful scientist owl who is keen in discovering the mysteries of space.
- Identity: A senior astronomer at the Featherine Aeronautics Institution (FAI)
- Magic: Ice power
- MBTI: ISTJ
- Favorite Fruit: Blackberry
Flower Magic Seagull: Sophia
- Name: Sophia
- Description: A compassionate, caring and gentle seagull who loves making bakeries and discovering innovative recipes.
- Identity: Sobeauty’s big sister, also the manager of their family-run bakery.
- Magic: Healing & Spring power
- MBTI: ISFJ
- Favorite Fruit: Strawberry
Love & Beauty Magic Seagull: Sobeauty
- Name: Sobeauty
- Description: A cheerful, naïve and charming little seagull who dreams of becoming a supermodel one day ( ps: she don’t like schools)
- Identity: Nina’s school mate, a popular girl, in the Featherling High school
- Magic: Love & Beauty power
- MBTI: ESFP
- Favorite Fruit: Peach
Flame & Fire Magic Humming-bird: Jazzlia
- Name: Jazzlia
- Description: An eccentric and passionate humming-bird who is obsessed with music and dreams of becoming a rockstar.
- Identity: A rock guitarist performing on streets (Although he is a rich second-generation in which his family owns the largest fuel firm, CI-Energy, on Planet Featherine)
- Magic: Fire power
- MBTI: INFJ
- Favorite Fruit: Dragon fruit
The Phantom Hacker Civilization
A Sci-fi Fantasy
The "Phantom Hacker" is another imaginary and highly advanced star-level civilization created in my Sci-fi series. After billions of years of reproduction and evolution, it has mastered 99% of the universe's knowledge, and its social ideology and productivity have reached the highest level of macro-civilization, making it an almost omnipotent existence.
However, after entering the ultimate society, this civilization lost its sense of purpose and the value of continued development. At its final moment, it evolved into a collective consciousness, intending to self-terminate. However, due to the overwhelming power of its ideology and macro-material, it was unable to destroy its own consciousness.
Thus, the "PH Civilization" decided to initiate a project named the “Godhood Plan” to seek meaning for its continued existence. The ultimate goal of this project is to make all other civilizations in the universe, except itself, worship and believe in it, establishing itself as the creator of their imaginary universe.
However, launching this plan is not a simple task. The sheer number of civilizations in the universe makes effective ideological control challenging. Therefore, before initiating the real action, the PH civilization must conduct a safety experiment, using this experiment to gather experience and methods to better ensure the success of the actual project. According to experts, the experiment’s cycle is estimated to last about 10 billion years, and the project’s implementation will be completed within one trillion years after the experiment concludes. The PH civilization thus created a new universe, namely "The New Verse," including 3 zones of experimentation with each zone dwelling multiple civilizations.
Check out Cat's start-ups!
Tea's Day Innovative Beverage
An innovative tea brand which features a variety of flavors and blends in special minority agricultural products
The Warm Hands E-commerce Platform
An E-commerce platform connecting minority cultures with buyers all around the world, promoting hand-made delicate artifacts and cultural diversity
X-Bio Pharmaceutical
An innovative bio-tech start-up founded with the support of doctoral supervisor from Beijing Noraml University, dedicated to improving upon a targeted cervical cancer drug with the conviction for the well-being of every XX (female)
Some COOL Tai-Chi Moves
Bao Quan Li (抱拳礼)
The Tai Chi move shown in the image is a common greeting and respectful gesture called "Bao Quan Li" (抱拳礼), also known as the "Salute with a Fist and Palm." The right hand forms a fist, representing strength or martial prowess, while the left hand is open with fingers extended, symbolizing virtue, peace, and humility. Together, this represents the balance of strength and gentleness—a central philosophy in martial arts.
"Holding the Ball" (抱球)
This is a fundamental posture in Tai Chi practice, often used as a transitional movement between other postures. In this posture, the practitioner imagines holding a ball between their hands. The "ball" represents the Qi, or life energy, that flows through the body.
This posture also helps the practitioner focus on their center and maintain a connection between their upper and lower body. It is also a way to cultivate balance and prepare for other movements.
The Single Wip (单鞭)
The "Single Whip" posture is symbolic of redirecting and neutralizing an opponent's force while maintaining balance and flexibility. The extended arm represents openness, while the other arm is positioned to control or direct energy. This posture is also used to practice balance, body alignment, and energy flow. It requires focus on coordination and smooth, controlled movement, enhancing both physical and mental balance.
Push or Ward-Off (按,掤)
"Push" (按, Àn) or "Ward Off" (掤, Péng) in Tai Chi forms, depending on the context of the movement within the sequence. This move helps the practitioner practice balance, coordination, and proper alignment. Both "Push" and "Ward Off" are foundational defensive techniques in Tai Chi. They involve controlling the opponent's energy through subtle redirection rather than brute force, embodying Tai Chi’s core principles of softness overcoming hardness.
Snake Creeps Down (蛇形下勢)
The Tai Chi move shown in this image appears to be "Snake Creeps Down" (蛇形下勢, Shé Xíng Xià Shì), a classic and low-positioned movement often found in Tai Chi forms. This movement represents the agility, flexibility, and stealth of a snake. It is meant to embody fluidity and control while remaining grounded. This move helps practitioners develop strength, flexibility, and balance, particularly in the legs. "Snake Creeps Down" is often followed by upward movements, symbolizing the dynamic flow between rising and lowering in Tai Chi. This posture also encourages mindfulness and awareness of the body's center of gravity.
Parting the Wild Horse's Mane (野马分鬃)
The movement mimics the gesture of a horse's mane being parted or smoothed down, representing balance and coordination between opposing forces. This move emphasizes shifting weight and balance, with one hand pushing outward while the other is drawn back, creating a stable yet fluid stance. It helps with practicing coordinated movement from the feet to the fingertips, embodying Tai Chi’s principle of unity between upper and lower body movements.
Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg(金鸡独立)
This posture represents balance and stability, as it requires standing on one leg. The raised leg and focused hand gestures mimic the stance of a rooster. It is excellent for developing balance, leg strength, and concentration. It challenges the practitioner’s ability to stabilize while maintaining a smooth, relaxed stance.
Preparation Stance or Wu Ji Position(无极站姿)
In Tai Chi, this neutral stance symbolizes a state of calm and centeredness. It represents the beginning and ending of Tai Chi practice, where the practitioner’s body and mind are relaxed. The preparation stance is used to center oneself and focus on breath, posture, and energy flow before moving into more dynamic movements, establishing grounding and mental readiness.