KOREASCHOLAR

The history and culture of using Zhu to help take food in China is a focal question in contemporary Chinese academic circle and leads to various conflicting ideas. This article, based on original historical documents, archaeological findings, cultural relic authentication, field investigation and the author's long-term thinking, comes up with a series of new conclusions. Firstly, Zhu emerged and developed along with cooked food and granular food served in bowls; secondly, there had been a period of using a single Zhu in China's history before two Zhus being used simultaneously; thirdly, the development of Zhu culture went through five historical periods, namely the former form, the interim form, the Jia form, the Zhu form and chopsticks form. In addition, the author gives out his unique viewpoints on some other relevant questions, including the Zhus which can be dated back to the Neolithic Age unearthed at Longqiuzhuang in Jiangsu province, Jiangzhai in Shanxi province etc, and the bronze utensils in the shape of Zhu unearthed in 1934 at Yin Dynasty ruins in Henan province.

• 조영광 | Zhao, Rongguang
• 박기숙 | Park, Gi-Suk