{"id":668699,"date":"2025-05-12T19:10:22","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T16:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/"},"modified":"2025-05-12T19:10:22","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T16:10:22","slug":"obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/","title":{"rendered":"Obscure Chinese character typewriter rediscovered"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2d2596a8313\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2d2596a8313\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/#SHARE\" >SHARE<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-box clearfix entry-content\" style=\"max-width:1050px;\">\n                        <input class=\"jpibfi\" type=\"hidden\"><\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"960\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-551568\" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=\"\" data-jpibfi-post-url=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/2025\/05\/12\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/\" data-jpibfi-post-title=\"Obscure Chinese character typewriter rediscovered\" data-jpibfi-src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-01.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>If you want to feel old (well, if you\u2019re Gen X and older), then try to ask people in a room how many have actually seen or used a typewriter. I\u2019ve been in spaces where they think of those \u201cdevices\u201d as ancient relics and have never seen an actual one except in pictures or old videos. There are still places in the Internet where you can actually purchase one, and I don\u2019t mean those electric ones whose keys don\u2019t make the clickety clacky sound. While old typewriters are very rare now, what if you found one that\u2019s even more rare?<\/p>\n<p>A remarkable discovery in a New York basement has brought to light a piece of technological history: the MingKwai Chinese typewriter. This unique machine, invented in 1947 by the esteemed writer and linguist Lin Yutang, boasts the capability of producing over 80,000 Chinese characters. The story began in January 2025 when Jennifer Felix and her husband Nelson were sorting through items in Jennifer\u2019s grandfather\u2019s basement. Among the forgotten relics, they stumbled upon an unusual typewriter with a keyboard filled with Chinese characters. Intrigued, Nelson posted photos in a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a> group dedicated to typewriter enthusiasts, \u201cWhat\u2019s My Typewriter Worth?\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Designer: Lin Yutang<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-02.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"960\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-551569\" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=\"\" data-jpibfi-post-url=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/2025\/05\/12\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/\" data-jpibfi-post-title=\"Obscure Chinese character typewriter rediscovered\" data-jpibfi-src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-02.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-02.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"960\" class=\"lazyload alignnone size-full wp-image-551569\" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=\"\" data-jpibfi-post-url=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/2025\/05\/12\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/\" data-jpibfi-post-title=\"Obscure Chinese character typewriter rediscovered\" data-jpibfi-src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-02.jpg\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-1\" style=\"margin: 8px 0; clear: both;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 4px; margin: 18px auto 20px; text-align:center;\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7222236028814181\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\" type=\"2dfe3eefca3a70b25f6c3016-text\/javascript\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- In-Content-Ad-1 --><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"2dfe3eefca3a70b25f6c3016-text\/javascript\">\n<\/script><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Nelson\u2019s post sparked interest, with members quickly identifying the machine as a MingKwai Chinese typewriter. Lin Yutang, its inventor, aimed to simplify the complex task of typing in Chinese, which traditionally required enormous keyboards with thousands of individual characters. The MingKwai system ingeniously organized characters by a phonetic system, making it significantly more user-friendly.<\/p>\n<p>Despite its innovative design, the MingKwai typewriter had a limited production run and remained relatively obscure, especially in the United States. Finding one after more than half a century is a rare occurrence, making this discovery all the more significant for historians and collectors alike. The weight of the machine, which Nelson noted as \u201ca ton,\u201d hints at the intricate mechanics involved in handling such a vast character set.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-05.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"1600\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-551570\" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=\"\" data-jpibfi-post-url=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/2025\/05\/12\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/\" data-jpibfi-post-title=\"Obscure Chinese character typewriter rediscovered\" data-jpibfi-src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-05.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-05.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"1600\" class=\"lazyload alignnone size-full wp-image-551570\" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=\"\" data-jpibfi-post-url=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/2025\/05\/12\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/\" data-jpibfi-post-title=\"Obscure Chinese character typewriter rediscovered\" data-jpibfi-src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-05.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>What Lin Yutang did was create a keyboard that had 72 options that you could combine to create the character you wanted. You needed to press one of the 36 top character component keys and one of the 28 bottom component keys at the same time and the machine would find up to 8 corresponding characters. Users can then see the options through a special viewing window called the \u201cmagic eye\u201d and select the one they want to use by pushing the respective numerical key. Sounds like a lot of work by today\u2019s standards but at that time, it was probably considered an innovative way of typing Chinese characters out.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"1600\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-551571\" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=\"\" data-jpibfi-post-url=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/2025\/05\/12\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/\" data-jpibfi-post-title=\"Obscure Chinese character typewriter rediscovered\" data-jpibfi-src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-06.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"1600\" class=\"lazyload alignnone size-full wp-image-551571\" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=\"\" data-jpibfi-post-url=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/2025\/05\/12\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/\" data-jpibfi-post-title=\"Obscure Chinese character typewriter rediscovered\" data-jpibfi-src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-06.jpg\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-2\" style=\"margin: 8px 0; clear: both;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 4px; margin: 18px auto 20px; text-align:center;\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7222236028814181\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\" type=\"2dfe3eefca3a70b25f6c3016-text\/javascript\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- In-Content-Ads-2 --><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"2dfe3eefca3a70b25f6c3016-text\/javascript\">\n<\/script><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The rediscovery of the MingKwai offers a fascinating glimpse into the history of Chinese language processing and the ingenious attempts to bridge the gap between the complexity of the written language and the practicality of mechanical typing. While the age of typewriters has largely passed, the MingKwai stands as a testament to the innovative spirit of its inventor and the enduring quest to make communication more accessible. They\u2019re planning to use this for research, academic programs, and exhibits. <\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-04.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"960\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-551572\" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=\"\" data-jpibfi-post-url=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/2025\/05\/12\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/\" data-jpibfi-post-title=\"Obscure Chinese character typewriter rediscovered\" data-jpibfi-src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-04.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-04.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"960\" class=\"lazyload alignnone size-full wp-image-551572\" data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=\"\" data-jpibfi-post-url=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/2025\/05\/12\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/\" data-jpibfi-post-title=\"Obscure Chinese character typewriter rediscovered\" data-jpibfi-src=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-04.jpg\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\">\n<div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing\">\n<h3 class=\"sd-title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"SHARE\"><\/span>SHARE<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"sd-content\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"share-facebook\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-facebook-551567\" hidden>Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Facebook<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-x\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-x-551567\" hidden>Click to share on X (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>X<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-pinterest\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-pinterest-551567\" hidden>Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Pinterest<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-reddit\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-reddit-551567\" hidden>Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Reddit<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-linkedin\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-linkedin-551567\" hidden>Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>LinkedIn<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-tumblr\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-tumblr-551567\" hidden>Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Tumblr<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-pocket\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-pocket-551567\" hidden>Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Pocket<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-email\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-email-551567\" hidden>Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Email<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-print\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-print-551567\" hidden>Click to print (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Print<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" class=\"sharing-anchor sd-button share-more\"><span>More<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-end\"><\/ul>\n<div class=\"sharing-hidden\">\n<div class=\"inner\" style=\"display: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"share-telegram\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-telegram-551567\" hidden>Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Telegram<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-threads\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-threads-551567\" hidden>Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Threads<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-jetpack-whatsapp\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-whatsapp-551567\" hidden>Click to share on Whats<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">App<\/a> (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>WhatsApp<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-mastodon\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-mastodon-551567\" hidden>Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Mastodon<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-bluesky\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-bluesky-551567\" hidden>Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Bluesky<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-nextdoor\">\n\t\t\t\t<span id=\"sharing-nextdoor-551567\" hidden>Click to share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window)<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span>Nextdoor<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-end\"><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 --><\/p>\n<div>\n                                                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"vcard author\"><br \/>\n                            <span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                                <span>Ida Torres<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/2025\/05\/12\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you want to feel old (well, if you\u2019re Gen X and older), then try to ask people in a room how many have actually seen or used a typewriter. I\u2019ve been in spaces where they think of those \u201cdevices\u201d as ancient relics and have never seen an actual one except in pictures or old&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":668700,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.yankodesign.com\/images\/design_news\/2025\/05\/obscure-chinese-character-typewriter-rediscovered\/mingkwai-01.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[18735,5378,125992],"class_list":["post-668699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-chinese","tag-history","tag-typewriter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=668699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668699\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/668700"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=668699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=668699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=668699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}