ci 刺, announced communication

The document type ci 刺 or ciwen 刺文 can be translated as "announced communication". In ancient times, the word ci was used for a kind of name card (mingci 名刺), which announced a visit or accompanied a letter of communication. It was, in this sense, used in both the private domain and in public institutions.

Liu Xie's 劉勰 (d. 522) literary critique Wenxin diaolong 文心雕龍 states (25 Shuji 書記) that the word ci, with the literal meaning "to pierce", initially referred to satirical critique but was later extended to mean "successfully conveying a narrative account of things" (shi xu xiang da, ruo zhen zhi tong jie 事敘相達，若針之通結). The glossary Shiming 釋名 simply interprets the word ci "piercing", as the movement of the brush on the wooden or bamboo slip.

Zhao Yi's 趙翼 (1727-1814) Gechu congkao 陔餘叢考 notes that during the Han period 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE), the name slips announcing a visit were called ye 謁, but from the late Han era onwards, the term ci came into use. Wang Chong 王充 (27-c. 97 CE), for example, in his critical work Lunheng 論衡 (11 Guxiang 骨相), states that "[he] sent a letter with his name to Ni Kuan 倪寬" (d. 103 BCE), and Zhuge Qu's 諸葛璩 (d. 508) biography in the official dynastic history Liangshu 梁書 reports that "[he] never once presented his visiting card to the local governor". Another early use of the word ci appears in the chapter on omens (18 Furui zhi 符瑞志) in the Nanqishu 南齊書. It recounts that in 479, an official excavated a wooden slip decorated with silver. The characters inscribed read: "The Daoist Master of Mount Lu 盧山, Zhang Ling 張陵, respectfully bows twice and presents his greeting (ye 謁)." The word ye is identified as ci (visiting card), which was more common during the Southern Dynasties period 南朝 (420-589).

Han-period documents from Dunhuang 敦煌 reveal that ci-type documents were also used by subordinate officials when presenting brief information to their superiors. The headline included the name of the recipient, and at the end of the text was the name of the presenter. From the third century onward, the use of ci-type documents was restricted to lateral communication.

Since the Tang period 唐 (618-907), the term was used for official documents. This is illustrated in the chapter on state offices (46 Baiguan zhi 百官志) in the Xintangshu 新唐書, where document types guan 關, ci 刺, and yi 移 are discussed. These were specifically used in the Imperial Secretariat (shanshusheng 尚書省) but fell out of use after the Song period 宋 (960-1279).

Lu You 陸游 (1125-1210), in his Laoxue'an biji 老學庵筆記, states that after the Yuanfeng reign-period 元豐 (1078–1085), hand-written cards (shouci 手刺) became very popular. In the beginning, these cards did not display official titles but contained phrases like "such-and-such respectfully presents his call upon such-and-such an official, on such-and-such a day of such-and-such a month", followed by the individual's full name and titles. These cards might also be called a "memorial" (zhuang 狀), or sometimes omit titles altogether, instead noting one’s native place. In all cases, they were handwritten.

During the Ming 明 (1368-1644) and Qing 清 (1644-1911) periods, name cards were called mingtie 名帖.