Abacus: Chinese Counting Symbol

The abacus is a counting tool that has been used for thousands of years. It originated in ancient China and was used by merchants, farmers, and traders to keep track of their accounts and inventories. The Chinese abacus is made of wood and has a rectangular frame with rods and beads suspended from strings. The beads are moved up and down to represent numbers, and the operator uses their fingers to add and subtract.

The abacus was an important tool for early Chinese mathematics, and it continues to be used in some parts of China today. Its use spread to other parts of the world, including Japan, where it was modified and became known as the Japanese abacus. The abacus remains an important tool for teaching mathematics and basic arithmetic to children, and it is still used in some parts for commercial purposes, such as in accounting and bookkeeping.