Special Report: Aging in China

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What Is This?

It’s “jia,” the Mandarin Chinese character that means family or house. In the tradition of Chinese characters, explains calligrapher Bertrand Mao, jia is formed from symbols that resemble the objects they represent. Jia incorporates a pig under a roof.

Family is also expressed as “jia ting.” What’s the difference? Jia refers to what English speakers think of as family—kinship, relationships, affection. Jia ting refers to the physical residence and a sense of protection or shelter.

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