How to Write 筇 (qióng) — Meaning “Qiong bamboo”

Imagine a bamboo stalk (竹) with big, strong knots that look like an arched bridge (think of 巩 as an arch). The word "Qiong" sounds like "chong," so you can remember "chong bamboo with strong knots." This helps link the shape of the bottom part to the idea of sturdy bamboo used for walking sticks.

Write the top radical 竹 with the left side slightly narrower than the right, using the standard stroke order: left first (撇,横,点), then right (撇,横,点). For the bottom 巩, write 工 (横,竖,横) then 凡 (撇,横折弯钩,点) — be careful with the 横折弯钩 stroke, making it curve smoothly. A common mistake is making the bottom too wide or forgetting the final dot in 凡.

竿 (gān) means "bamboo pole" and has 干 (a straight cross) at the bottom, while 竽 (yú) is an ancient bamboo wind instrument with 于 at the bottom. 筇 (qióng) has 巩 at the bottom, which looks more complex, and it specifically names a type of bamboo, not a pole or instrument. Visually, 竿 has a simple cross, 竽 has a curved shape, and 筇 has a square-and-hook bottom.

筇 is rarely used in everyday conversation and appears mainly in botanical names, place names (like 筇竹寺 in Yunnan), or classical literature. It is often seen in the word 筇杖 (bamboo walking stick) because the Qiong bamboo’s strong nodes make it ideal for that purpose. Culturally, it is associated with traditional scholar-officials who used such walking sticks, giving it a refined, historical flavor.

Common words containing 筇 include: 筇竹 (qióng zhú) — Qiong bamboo (a type of bamboo with prominent nodes); 筇杖 (qióng zhàng) — Bamboo walking stick; 筇节 (qióng jié) — Bamboo nodes (specifically of the Qiong bamboo).