篙
pole for punting boats
Closest English meanings
punt-pole·boatpole
The Calligrapher — Chǔ Suíliáng 褚遂良
Tang chancellor and regular-script master of elegant, balanced strokes.
Tang calligrapher (596–658), master of regular script — Tang master of graceful, tensile regular script favored by the imperial court. Tang dynasty
Cultural Story
篙 is a long bamboo pole for pushing flat-bottomed boats through shallow water, older on inland rivers than sail. Poets loved the image: a 篙工 stands at the bow, tilting his 竹篙 against the riverbed, and the skiff glides past gorges, willows and ferry landings — travel by 撑篙 fills Tang and Song verse with river songs.
Common words & phrases
- 竹篙 bamboo punt-pole
- 撑篙 punt · pole a boat
- 篙工 boatman · punter
Read the story behind the character
In water towns like Wuzhen and Zhouzhuang, tourists pay a 篙工 to 撑篙 them along canals beneath stone bridges, the 竹篙 clicking against ancient quay stones. Raft operators on scenic rivers still pole instead of row, and locals say 撑篙 whenever anyone pushes a punt off the mud — the technique unchanged for centuries.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Chǔ Suíliáng 褚遂良, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.