Pictographic Meaning of Chinese characters (17）High - 高，Capital - 京， Scene - 景，Shadow - 影

The Shell Bone Script for character High 

A tower with a lookout on top and a city gate below, with the open gate indicated by the character "口." In ancient times, there were no high-rise buildings, and city towers were the tallest structures, thus representing "high."

The Shell Bone Script for character Capital

Also a tower, similar to "high," but with the gate closed. "Capital" refers to the capital city, which had many towers used by the court for official business or ceremonies, heavily guarded, with gates always closed to the public.

Character Scene and Shadow do not have Shell Bone Script, indicating they were likely created later.

The Big Seal Script for character High

Still resembles a tower, but with more refined details.

The Big Seal Script for character Capital

A tower, the court's tower, with the gate still closed.

The Big Seal Script for character Scene

The upper part is the sun, and the lower part is the capital's tower, the court's tower. The character "high" is not used to indicate "scene" because the court's tower is more beautiful. When the sun rises high, the court's tower becomes a splendid sight, or the best view in the city. Even now, the sunlit Tiananmen is a favorite scene. "Shadow" does not have a Big Seal Script version, indicating it was created even later.

The Clerical Script for character High

The top of the tower is now separated from the city tower, becoming a suspended "口," losing its pictographic nature.

The Clerical Script for character Capital

The top of the tower is suspended, and the gate shape below is gone, no longer resembling a tower.

The Clerical Script for character Scene

The top is still the sun, with the bottom transformed from "capital."

The Clerical Script for character Shadow

The three strokes on the right represent the shadow cast by the tower, so the original meaning of "shadow" is a shadow. The character for shadow impressively evokes the tower's shadow. It's a later character, needing "capital" and "scene" to exist first. Thus, it lacks Oracle Bone Script, Large Seal Script, and Small Seal Script versions, appearing only in the Clerical Script.