<p>They can understand and will occasionally <a href="http://zhidao.baidu.com/link?url=CxXYTspjnC9ZX3QWRyRQaIY0UraQn5lqMy0yWV_UEnM_E8L-aeUdgHoqpNQqYcmq8jw7p5BIMXKMZU9CJawzMq" rel="nofollow">use simplified Chinese</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>1、台湾老的文化人都认识简体字。过去，台湾像大陆一样流行简体字。只是在中华人民共和国政府宣布实行简化字方案后，台湾当局才不许公共场合出现简体字，以表示不承认共党政府。但是，老人手写字依然有用简体字。我曾在回答关于“煎体字”问体中附一张照片，是1958年蒋介石写给郝伯村的信，信中就有几十个与我们完全一样的简体字。<br>
  2、书法爱好者认识简体字。简体字大量是行书、草书规范化。经常看古人书帖自然会认识简体字。<br>
  3、经常与大陆往来的人会认识简体字。要说台湾与大陆往来密切，哪里也比不上厦门。厦门一切公共场合，包括与台湾的经济、学术交流，都是规范字，台商工厂中也如是。看多了自然就认识了。<br>
  4、这几年，台湾从大陆购买上百万册简体版图书，说明有很多人认识；原来不认识的，看这些书自然也就认识了。</p>
</blockquote>

<ol>
<li>Taiwan people know Simplified Chinese but in opposition to the Communist Government     of Mainland China, they refused to allow Simplified Chinese to be officially used. (This is more for political reasons) </li>
<li>People who study classical Chinese literature will know simplified Chinese because Simplified Chinese evolved from XingShu and CaoShu styles. </li>
<li>People who frequently go between Taiwan and Mainland obviously will know Simplified Chinese. </li>
<li>Importation of Mainland Literature definitely helps others to learn simplified Chinese.</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-16T09:02:39.257Z
Good answer. But better be written in English :)
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-16T10:52:52.117Z
You may want to write in English. I can only understand the (small) English part of your answer.
Mr.C64
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-19T02:10:23.437Z
Lemme translate:

    1) Taiwan people know Simplified Chinese but in opposition to the Communist Government of Mainland China, they refused to allow Simplified Chinese to  be officially used. (This is     more for political reasons)

    2) People who study classical Chinese literature will know simplified Chinese because Simplified Chinese evolved from XingShu and CaoShu styles.

    3) People who frequently go between Taiwan and Mainland obviously will know Simplified Chinese.

    4) Importation of Mainland Literature definitely helps others to learn simplified Chinese.
user3992
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-19T02:14:21.540Z
@user3992 Thank you, you may want to consider editing this post.
Ave Maleficum
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-19T04:23:19.320Z
Strange... I couldn't see any part of the quoted text in the URL provided in answer. Is it just me or something else?
TactMayers
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-16T02:23:26.393Z
2014-03-19T02:35:05.840Z
2014-03-19T02:35:05.840Z
Ave Maleficum
<p>People in Hong Kong and Taiwan use Traditional Chinese officially, both in Handwriting and Documents, not just because it's aesthetically more beautiful, but also because Traditional Chinese retains the personality and original shape of words compared to the simplified version. Taiwan especially uses Traditional Chinese as an opposition to Mainland China's usage of Simplified Chinese. </p>

<p>Personally, having gone through grade school with Simplified Chinese makes you appreciate Traditional Chinese because the simplification of words sometimes makes no sense until you see the original Traditional writings.  Eg. 愛 (Traditional) has the word 心 (Heart) in it versus 爱 (Simplified) which removes the heart. </p>

<p>The older generation would be better with Traditional because that's what they learned growing up. The younger generation probably love simpler things so Simplified would be the way to go. </p>

<p>If you are interested in the debate between both : <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debate_on_traditional_and_simplified_Chinese_characters" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debate_on_traditional_and_simplified_Chinese_characters</a></p>

<p>But to answer your question, yes, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan officially uses Traditional Chinese. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-19T02:02:08.157Z
2014-03-19T02:02:08.157Z
user3992
<p>Traditional Chinese is official Language in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
They read, write and print in Traditional Chinese.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-18T08:44:59.150Z
2014-03-18T08:44:59.150Z
mjb
<p>I'm curious if people living in places like Hong Kong and Taiwan, where the official characters are the <em>traditional</em> Chinese characters, do use them also in handwriting, or if they use the <em>simplified</em> Chinese characters in handwriting.</p>

<p>The traditional Chinese characters seem aesthetically more beautiful, but I think they are harder to write (requiring more attention, and more time to fully write them, I suppose...).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-15T06:02:10.913Z
It's rather a personal choice. Some people follow the "識正書簡" (know the traditional but write the simplified) way -- an interesting example is the former chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, follows this way but her colleagues in the party sharply resist such a "culture-destroying" choice. Anyway, when people in HK or Taiwan write **formal** things, they just stick to traditional Chinese.
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-15T11:22:54.313Z
@Stan: Thanks for sharing this information. I'd be happy to upvote that and possibly mark as answer, if you post it as answer instead of a comment.
Mr.C64
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-15T13:38:23.487Z
I leave it in the comment because although I'm living in Hong Kong, I'm not native. What I've seen and heard would be narrowed by my circle. So, as it's a good question, I'd be glad to see someone native in HK or Taiwan to answer it :)
Stan
<traditional-vs-simplified><handwriting>
Are simplified Chinese characters used for handwriting in places using traditional Chinese characters?
# Are simplified Chinese characters used for handwriting in places using traditional Chinese characters?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-03-14)

I'm curious if people living in places like Hong Kong and Taiwan, where the official characters are the *traditional* Chinese characters, do use them also in handwriting, or if they use the *simplified* Chinese characters in handwriting.

The traditional Chinese characters seem aesthetically more beautiful, but I think they are harder to write (requiring more attention, and more time to fully write them, I suppose...).

**Tags:** traditional-vs-simplified, handwriting

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It's rather a personal choice. Some people follow the "識正書簡" (know the traditional but write the simplified) way -- an interesting example is the former chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, follows this way but her colleagues in the party sharply resist such a "culture-destroying" choice. Anyway, when people in HK or Taiwan write **formal** things, they just stick to traditional Chinese.  
> **username_0**: @username_1: Thanks for sharing this information. I'd be happy to upvote that and possibly mark as answer, if you post it as answer instead of a comment.  
> **username_1**: I leave it in the comment because although I'm living in Hong Kong, I'm not native. What I've seen and heard would be narrowed by my circle. So, as it's a good question, I'd be glad to see someone native in HK or Taiwan to answer it :)  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-03-16. Score: 5

They can understand and will occasionally [use simplified Chinese](http://zhidao.baidu.com/link?url=CxXYTspjnC9ZX3QWRyRQaIY0UraQn5lqMy0yWV_UEnM_E8L-aeUdgHoqpNQqYcmq8jw7p5BIMXKMZU9CJawzMq)

> 1、台湾老的文化人都认识简体字。过去，台湾像大陆一样流行简体字。只是在中华人民共和国政府宣布实行简化字方案后，台湾当局才不许公共场合出现简体字，以表示不承认共党政府。但是，老人手写字依然有用简体字。我曾在回答关于“煎体字”问体中附一张照片，是1958年蒋介石写给郝伯村的信，信中就有几十个与我们完全一样的简体字。  
> 2、书法爱好者认识简体字。简体字大量是行书、草书规范化。经常看古人书帖自然会认识简体字。  
> 3、经常与大陆往来的人会认识简体字。要说台湾与大陆往来密切，哪里也比不上厦门。厦门一切公共场合，包括与台湾的经济、学术交流，都是规范字，台商工厂中也如是。看多了自然就认识了。  
> 4、这几年，台湾从大陆购买上百万册简体版图书，说明有很多人认识；原来不认识的，看这些书自然也就认识了。

1. Taiwan people know Simplified Chinese but in opposition to the Communist Government of Mainland China, they refused to allow Simplified Chinese to be officially used. (This is more for political reasons)
2. People who study classical Chinese literature will know simplified Chinese because Simplified Chinese evolved from XingShu and CaoShu styles.
3. People who frequently go between Taiwan and Mainland obviously will know Simplified Chinese.
4. Importation of Mainland Literature definitely helps others to learn simplified Chinese.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Good answer. But better be written in English :)  
> **username_0**: You may want to write in English. I can only understand the (small) English part of your answer.  
> **username_3**: Lemme translate:      1) Taiwan people know Simplified Chinese but in opposition to the Communist Government of Mainland China, they refused to allow Simplified Chinese to  be officially used. (This is     more for political reasons)      2) People who study classical Chinese literature will know simplified Chinese because Simplified Chinese evolved from XingShu and CaoShu styles.      3) People who frequently go between Taiwan and Mainland obviously will know Simplified Chinese.      4) Importation of Mainland Literature definitely helps others to learn simplified Chinese.  
> **username_2**: @username_3 Thank you, you may want to consider editing this post.  
> **username_4**: Strange... I couldn't see any part of the quoted text in the URL provided in answer. Is it just me or something else?  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-03-19. Score: 1

People in Hong Kong and Taiwan use Traditional Chinese officially, both in Handwriting and Documents, not just because it's aesthetically more beautiful, but also because Traditional Chinese retains the personality and original shape of words compared to the simplified version. Taiwan especially uses Traditional Chinese as an opposition to Mainland China's usage of Simplified Chinese.

Personally, having gone through grade school with Simplified Chinese makes you appreciate Traditional Chinese because the simplification of words sometimes makes no sense until you see the original Traditional writings. Eg. 愛 (Traditional) has the word 心 (Heart) in it versus 爱 (Simplified) which removes the heart.

The older generation would be better with Traditional because that's what they learned growing up. The younger generation probably love simpler things so Simplified would be the way to go.

If you are interested in the debate between both : <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debate_on_traditional_and_simplified_Chinese_characters>

But to answer your question, yes, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan officially uses Traditional Chinese.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2014-03-18. Score: 0

Traditional Chinese is official Language in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
They read, write and print in Traditional Chinese.


---

