In Hunan Province, China, a unique form of writing developed specifically for women has seen the loss of its final natural bearer, He Yanshin, who died on October 23, 2025, at the age of 86. He Yanshin was discovered by nearby family members at her home following a fall. This writing, known for expressing sorrow and struggle, served as a means of comfort for women living under a patriarchal society. It was designed to articulate feelings of pain and loss, bringing a semblance of solace to its users.

The origins of this writing, often referred to in English as 'women's writing' or 'nüzi wenzi,' are somewhat obscure, but scholars believe it to resemble a phonetic script derived from Chinese characters, containing around 450 characters. It was created as a medium for uneducated women who could not read or write standard Chinese characters, allowing them to communicate their emotional experiences through poetry and prose amid societal pressures to conform to traditional gender roles. This writing was particularly significant in providing a voice to women as they faced the demands of arranged marriages and their roles as mothers and daughters-in-law.

He Yanshin learned this writing from her grandmother as a child, ingraining the characters into her memory by tracing them in the dirt. However, with the establishment of the People's Republic of China, she attended school and eventually stopped using the script. In 1994, she was rediscovered as a significant bearer of this cultural heritage during a field visit by former professor Endo Orie, who initially found her reluctant to recall her skills. Yet, upon questioning about her grandmother, He Yanshin began to write fervently, showcasing the cultural significance of this writing and her deep connection to it, underscoring how this knowledge has become increasingly rare with each passing generation.