关键词： 汉字, 文化圈, 汉字文化圈

Abstract: As a field from where a particular culture radiated,cultural circle covers group cultures with similar cultural nature and similar humanistic environments.The Chinese-character cultural circle refers to the nations and districts that use Chinese characters or once used Chinese characters and has inherited Chinese-character tradition.Geographically,this cultural field includes China,Eastern China-Indian Peninsula,Korean Peninsula,Japen,etc,i.e. the places under East Asian cultural circle.Religiously,the field is also called “Confucian cultural circle” or “Chinese Buddhist cultural circle”.The basic elements of the circle include Chinese characters,Chinese literature,confucian tradition,Chinese Buddhism,China-pattern laws and institutions,China-pattern production technology,China-pattern customs,etc.In short,the Chinese-character cultural circle is a real,reflexible and vigorous cultural phenomenon.

Key words: Chinese-character, cultural circle, Chinese-character cultural circle