In Shandong, first-graders with names like 扶苏 and 邕熙 have sparked discussions about a cultural return.Download the app here:Chinese Short Dialogue | WebsiteChinese Short Dialogue | App StoreChinese Short Dialogue | Google PlayAvailable in 8 languages on the app:Chinese Listening | 중국어 리스닝 | 中国語リスニング | Аудирование по китайскому языку | Nghe tiếng Trung | Mendengarkan bahasa Mandarin | Escucha en chino | การฟังภาษาจีน | Chinesisches Hören | Écoute du chinois | Ascolto cinese | Audição em chinês | चीनी सुनना | الاستماع إلى اللغة الصينية《English Translation》陈花: Lao Huang, did you see the report on new first-graders in Shandong? Many kids have ancient-style names, like 扶苏 and 邕熙.黄刚: I did. People online say it feels like reading a classical-style novel. It seems the era of names like 子涵 and 梓萱 is really over.陈花: Yes. In the past, trendy or Western-sounding names were popular; now parents prefer drawing inspiration from the Classic of Poetry and historical figures.黄刚: This actually reflects a shift in cultural psychology. Names may be a small matter, but they reveal a turn in society’s aesthetics.陈花: I think it’s great. If a child’s name is poetic, parents can tell stories so the child understands traditional culture better.黄刚: Right—like telling them which poem the name comes from and what it means. That itself is cultural education.陈花: But naming still requires real understanding. If it’s just following a trend, the original cultural flavor might be lost again.黄刚: Exactly. A name carries parents’ hopes, but in the end it takes education and the family environment to realize the beautiful meaning in it.

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