Understand the evolution of Chinese characters and compare traditional and simplified forms
Simplified characters (Mainland China) vs Traditional characters (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau)
Simplified characters were introduced in the 1950s by mainland China to improve literacy rates and writing efficiency. They are primarily used in mainland China.
Traditional characters preserve more strokes and structure, representing the original form of Chinese characters. They are mainly used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, also known as "standard characters."
The main differences include stroke simplification, radical simplification, and structural simplification. Some characters have completely different forms between simplified and traditional versions.