The Classical Chinese language, a logographic script originating from ancient China, became an early regional lingua franca in the written form and, as such, was a major facilitator of cultural exchange throughout the region up until the early 20th century. Other important language scripts of the region include Katakana from Japan, Hangul from Korea, and to a lesser extent, Chữ Nôm from Vietnam. Japan, Korea and Vietnam also exerted their own influence onto Chinese culture, transforming both the Chinese language as well as the concepts it entailed. These countries not only received Chinese culture, but actively participated in the creative process of cultural interaction, exchange, and reinvention.