This is a piece of the bookstore's sign indicating
'middle' on the left and
what appears to be ancient Chinese on the right. 'Middle' is how or
'where' the
ancient Chinese conceived themselves to be. The word for 'Chinese person'
is represented by three characters: 'middle' 'country' 'person.' I have seen
this second word translated as 'kingdom,' too.
I have yet to confirm this, but I believe the
metaphorical 'middle' refers to the
position between heaven above and hell below. Perhaps, too, it refers to
the
Chinese position between the 'barbarians' to the north and those to the south:
The Chinese being 'in the middle.' More on that,
later.