Traditional Chinese VS Simplified Chinese

In the recent DGC lessons, I have learnt something about design history. Such as the technological improvement that change the history of design, and also how characters and letter forms are developed from cave painting, pictures, pictograms, and so forth.

Technological improvement like the invention of paper, moveable type, printing press...... all these make design and publishing more convenient. Characters and letter forms developed from pictograms are less complicated and with less strokes, these make writing more convenient. People from all over the world, from the past to current, are, always seeking for convenient.

This brings me think of the issue about whether the Traditional Chinese Characters be replaced by the Simplified Chinese Character. As with the rapid economic development of China in the recent decades, Chinese citizen started to seek for "speed". Everything should be done as quickly as it can, and as convenient as it can. Because to them, every minute =$. They should write quickly so as to prevent wastage of time. And we can hear many voices from the mainland China that request to eliminate Traditional Chinese and set Simplified Chinese as Standard Formal Chinese Characters.

However, in my point of view, simplified Chinese can never replace Traditional Chinese. Traditional Chinese are developed from pictograms gradually over a long long period. When we look at Traditional Chinese, we can see the shadow of pictograms. That is, Traditional Chinese Characters could convey pictures and meanings. Yet, for Simplified Chinese, strokes are simplified, the ability of the character to covey pictures and meanings would also be disappeared.

Traditional Chinese Character are unique characters and letterforms. When we are seeking for convenience, we should also keep the uniqueness of our precious language characters.