Chinese, also known as "Han Yu" and "Zhong Wen", includes Mandarin, Cantonese, and other dialects. Mandarin, or "Putonghua", is the standard Chinese dialect. Cantonese is spoken in Guangdong province and Hong Kong. Chinese characters originated from pictures and directly convey concepts. While simplified characters are used in mainland China, traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and overseas Chinese communities. One written system and measurement system were established over 2000 years ago helping the language and culture survive despite different spoken dialects. Pinyin is the system used to transcribe Chinese sounds, composed of initials, finals, and tones. Learning Chinese tones can be difficult while