| Simplified Chinese characters were introduced in the | | | | However, there were plenty of other problems which |
| Chinese literary system sometime in the mid 1980's | | | | also prompted the Chinese to change their language |
| by the government of the People's republic of China. | | | | structure. Among them was a general need among |
| Many experts and critics had constantly been hassling | | | | the people to change their system in order to |
| the government for decades asking for this change | | | | accommodate many different writing skills as well. |
| because they believed that this would be the solution | | | | Also, since the Chinese language consists of more |
| to many of the problems that China placed at that | | | | than 4000 characters, it would become very much |
| point of time. Thus the government finally | | | | easier if someone could write all that in such a way |
| succumbed to the pressure and decided to change it | | | | that different syllable would be used rather than just |
| and people began to learn simplified Chinese after | | | | a single character representing two different words. |
| that. | | | | (this is how it works in the Chinese language) |
| One of the main reasons why it was decided that | | | | However, I hope that this short overview on the |
| the switch would take place was because until then, | | | | history of the Chinese characters and the Chinese |
| the literacy system in China consisted of complex | | | | language helped you understand why exactly it is |
| characters that were pretty tough to write which | | | | that people now learn simplified Chinese rather than |
| made many of the people to be illiterate at that time. | | | | traditional characters in China and around the world. |
| Therefore, this system was introduced in order to | | | | When you begin to learn Mandarin Chinese, you will |
| get over this problem of illiteracy that China was | | | | completely understand what I am talking about and |
| facing. | | | | why exactly these characters are so important. |