Chinese characters have developed over thousands of years, some characters requiring as many as thirty-three separate strokes. In the 1950s, a Character Reform Committee in the PRC systematically simplified the written language in order to encourage literacy. These ensuing reforms reduced the number of character strokes by an average of one half. This simplified character set (简体, jiǎntǐ) appears in all print media in Mainland China and Singapore. However, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and various diasporic Chinese communities still use the traditional, more complex character set (繁體, fántǐ). As part of our commitment to bringing Asia to the world, Cheng & Tsui offers many language learning materials in both simplified and traditional characters. Look for these specifications as part of each product description.
