Traditional and simplified writing

In mainland China a simplified writing system is used, whereas in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas regions the traditional Chinese script is being used. Starting from the second half of the nineteenth century, there was a growing consensus that the writing system constituted an obstacle to the achievement of a higher literacy rate. The simplified writing system differs in two ways from the traditional writing system: (1) a reduction of the number of strokes per character and (2) the reduction of the number of characters in common use (two originally different characters are now written with the same character). A large-scale reform was continued after the founding of the PRC. In 1955 1,053 variant characters were eliminated. In 1956, the Scheme of Simplified Chinese Characters, known later as the First Scheme, was promulgated by the PRC government. It was composed of 525 simplified characters and 54 simplified basic components of characters.

The Second Scheme of Simplified Chinese Characters was promulgated in 1977 and taught in school between 1977-1986, but was repealed in 1986 amid general disapproval. The Comittee compiled the scheme without outside consultation and proper oversight. Staffers lacked proper knowledge because most experts were expelled in the Culteral Revolution (1966-1978). The Second Scheme was received extremely poorly by the public and linguistic community, and less than a year later, in mid-1978, the Ministry of Education and the Central Propaganda Department were asking publishers of textbooks, newspapers, and other works to stop using the Second Scheme. Despite retraction in 1986 and officially regarded as incorrect, some second round simplifications have survived in informal usage. Examples are 鸡旦 for 鸡蛋 and 仃车 for 停车.

The number of Chinese Characters

Although around 56,000 characters have been accumulated in Chinese, only a few thousand are needed to write Modern Chinese. A large part of the 56,000 characters (40 percent) are variants of a same character (異體).

How many characters for literacy

You can read 90% of a newspaper with less than 1,000 characters. Knowing 2,500 characters covers for almost 97% of everyday writing, and 3,500 characters for over 99%. For the Chinese language test, Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì (HSK), you must learn 2,600 characters. To read historical texts, knowledge between 3,000-4,000 characters is required.

You need to know about 6,000 characters to be familiar with characters for business and place names, restaurant menu items, etc. An educated Chinese person may know up to 8,000 characters.

The fate of traditional writing

The use of the simplified script has also given rise to some problems. When some simplified characters become easier to learn and write, they may not necessarily be easier to recognise. Characters may become less differentiated from each other as a result of simplification of their shape (e.g. 'phoenix' vs , 'wind'). There is no balance between the legibility and distinctiveness of its basic symbols. Furthermore, simplified characters offer even fewer clues to their pronunciation than their traditional counterparts, making them more prone to mispronunciation. Finally, it is argued that the simplified script hinders access to writings before 1956, as well as those from outside mainland Chin.

In mainland China where simplified writing is used, traditional writing is still everywhere to be seen on signboards of streets, stores, schools, companies, and government institutions, as well as in book titles, advertisements, slogans, and televisions subtitles. More than 50% of the universities in Beijing use traditional characters in their signs, as is the case for 85% of the restaurants in Beijing.

In the southern parts of China neighbouring Hong Kong and Taiwan where traditional writing is used, these rates are even higher. E.g. in the ShenZhen area traditional script is required to understand writings and contracts from the neighoring Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Taiwan.

Five thousand years of Chinese history has recorded in traditional writing. It is clear that traditional writing will not disappear quickly and forms an essential link to the history and cultural heritage of the Chinese people.

Phonetic writing

After several previous attempts to write Chinese using the letters of the roman alphabet, pinyin, a 58-symbol writing system was finally adopted in 1958. Some strange and unnatural sounds for the x's, q's, and zh's reflect the graphic choices not too easily to apprehend for foreigners. Its main aims are to facilitate the spread of putonghua, and the learning of Chinese characters. In the 1970s a new map of China was published using the alphabet, and a list of standard spellings for Chinese placenames was compiled.