62-485: The Central Catchment Nature Reserve ( Chinese : 中央集水区自然保护区 ; Malay : Hutan Simpanan Kawasan Tadahan Air Tengah ; Tamil : மத்திய நீர்ப்பிடிப்பு இயற்கை வனப்பகுதி , romanized: Mattiya nīrppiṭippu iyaṟkai vaṉappakuti ) is the largest nature reserve in Singapore , occupying 2880 hectares. Forming a large green lung in the geographical centre of the city, it houses several recreational sites, including
124-434: A conversion table. While exercising such derivation, the following rules should be observed: Sample Derivations : The Series One List of Variant Characters reduces the number of total standard characters. First, amongst each set of variant characters sharing identical pronunciation and meaning, one character (usually the simplest in form) is elevated to the standard character set, and the rest are made obsolete. Then amongst
186-428: A mixture of young and mature secondary forests with virgin primary forest surrounding the reservoirs. Bordering MacRitchie reservoir are remnants of rubber plantations from the 19th century. Walkways and boardwalks in the reserve, which range from 3 to 11 kilometres long, allow visitors to enjoy a closer feel to nature. The reserve is also visited by hikers and trekkers due to its terrain and scenery. A hike can lead to
248-610: A newly coined phono-semantic compound : Removing radicals Only retaining single radicals Replacing with ancient forms or variants : Adopting ancient vulgar variants : Readopting abandoned phonetic-loan characters : Copying and modifying another traditional character : Based on 132 characters and 14 components listed in Chart 2 of the Complete List , the 1,753 derived characters found in Chart 3 can be created by systematically simplifying components using Chart 2 as
310-469: A practice which has always been present as a part of the Chinese writing system. The official name tends to refer to the specific, systematic set published by the Chinese government, which includes not only simplifications of individual characters, but also a substantial reduction in the total number of characters through the merger of formerly distinct forms. According to Chinese palaeographer Qiu Xigui ,
372-505: A result of the small, fragmented population and continuing risk of further deforestation, the species meets the criteria to be listed as critically endangered by IUCN. The Raffles' banded langur was once common throughout the island of Singapore but that population is now critically endangered with approximately 60 individuals left in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve . The species was formerly found in
434-653: A result, the Raffles' banded langur meets the criteria for being listed as critically endangered by the IUCN . It is mainly threatened by habitat loss . The taxonomy of Presbytis femoralis underwent several changes. Up until 2019, three subspecies of P. femoralis were recognized: P. f. femoralis ( nominate ), P. f. percura (the East Sumatran banded langur ), and P. f. robinsoni ( Robinson's banded langur ). Presbytis f. femoralis lives in Singapore , and in
496-404: A single standardized character, usually the simplest among all variants in form. Finally, many characters were left untouched by simplification and are thus identical between the traditional and simplified Chinese orthographies. The Chinese government has never officially announced the completion of the simplification process after the bulk of characters were introduced by the 1960s. In the wake of
558-662: A small area within the Central Water Catchment with a population of about 70 by 2022. Simplified Chinese characters Simplified Chinese characters are one of two standardized character sets widely used to write the Chinese language , with the other being traditional characters . Their mass standardization during the 20th century was part of an initiative by the People's Republic of China (PRC) to promote literacy, and their use in ordinary circumstances on
620-787: A study in Perawang [ id ] , Sumatra found an average group size of 11 monkeys in mixed-sex groups. The latter study also found an average ratio of 1 adult male to 4.8 adult females in mixed-sex groups and a ratio of 1.25 adult monkeys for every immature monkey in mixed-sex groups. It also found an average range size for a group of 22 hectares , and an average population density of 42 monkeys per square kilometer . Other studies found somewhat smaller home ranges, of between 9 and 21 hectares. The Raffles' banded langur appears to have two birth seasons, once between June and July and another between December and January. In this study, at least six infants were born between 2008 and 2010, and
682-440: Is actually more complex than eliminated ones. An example is the character 搾 which is eliminated in favor of the variant form 榨 . The 扌 'HAND' with three strokes on the left of the eliminated 搾 is now seen as more complex, appearing as the ⽊ 'TREE' radical 木 , with four strokes, in the chosen variant 榨 . Not all characters standardised in the simplified set consist of fewer strokes. For instance,
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#1732798260086744-454: Is derived. Merging homophonous characters: Adapting cursive shapes ( 草書楷化 ): Replacing a component with a simple arbitrary symbol (such as 又 and 乂 ): Omitting entire components : Omitting components, then applying further alterations : Structural changes that preserve the basic shape Replacing the phonetic component of phono-semantic compounds : Replacing an uncommon phonetic component : Replacing entirely with
806-813: Is now discouraged. A State Language Commission official cited "oversimplification" as the reason for restoring some characters. The language authority declared an open comment period until 31 August 2009, for feedback from the public. In 2013, the List of Commonly Used Standard Chinese Characters was published as a revision of the 1988 lists; it included a total of 8105 characters. It included 45 newly recognized standard characters that were previously considered variant forms, as well as official approval of 226 characters that had been simplified by analogy and had seen wide use but were not explicitly given in previous lists or documents. Singapore underwent three successive rounds of character simplification , eventually arriving at
868-483: Is one of four primate species native to Singapore. The CCNR is the only location in Singapore where the nationally critically endangered banded leaf monkeys can be found. Due to rapid urbanisation and habitat loss, the population at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve had died out in 1987. The Central Catchment population had declined to as few as 10–15 monkeys before recovering to about 40 by 2012. Today, they are restricted to
930-429: Is the only place in Singapore where Raffles' banded langur monkey remains, with a population that has been severely diminished. Wild birds such as crimson sunbird , greater racket-tailed drongo and kingfishers are found in the reserve, too. Some species of critically endangered bats have also been spotted. The reserve has many species of butterflies . It is home to some 1,600 species of flora. The reserve, along with
992-547: Is used instead of 叠 in regions using traditional characters. The Chinese government stated that it wished to keep Chinese orthography stable. The Chart of Generally Utilized Characters of Modern Chinese was published in 1988 and included 7000 simplified and unsimplified characters. Of these, half were also included in the revised List of Commonly Used Characters in Modern Chinese , which specified 2500 common characters and 1000 less common characters. In 2009,
1054-473: The ⼓ ' WRAP ' radical used in the traditional character 沒 is simplified to ⼏ ' TABLE ' to form the simplified character 没 . By systematically simplifying radicals, large swaths of the character set are altered. Some simplifications were based on popular cursive forms that embody graphic or phonetic simplifications of the traditional forms. In addition, variant characters with identical pronunciation and meaning were reduced to
1116-915: The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve , but that population died out in 1987. The last individual to live in Bukit Timah is now displayed at the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research . The Central Catchment population had declined to as few as 10–15 monkeys before recovering to about 40 by 2012, 60 by 2019. and about 70 by 2022. The Singapore population feeds from at least 27 plant species, including Hevea brasiliensis leaves, Adinandra dumosa flowers and Nephelium lappaceum fruits. They appear to prefer specific fruits and will travel long distances to reach their preferred fruit, rather than settle for more accessible foods. The National Biodiversity Centre , in partnership with
1178-499: The Cultural Revolution , a second round of simplified characters was promulgated in 1977—largely composed of entirely new variants intended to artificially lower the stroke count, in contrast to the first round—but was massively unpopular and never saw consistent use. The second round of simplifications was ultimately retracted officially in 1986, well after they had largely ceased to be used due to their unpopularity and
1240-694: The Eco-Link@BKE will allow banded leaf monkeys to repopulate Bukit Timah. A group of bachelor males once tried to make its way to Bukit Timah without using the EcoLink but one was killed crossing the highway and the group now lives in Windsor Nature Park . In April 2021 a single Raffles' banded langur was observed in Bukit Timah but it is unclear whether it used the Eco-Link@BKE to get there. The National Parks Board staff wrote of
1302-581: The MacRitchie Reservoir and Nee Soon Swamp Forest portions of Central Catchment. The Nee Soon Swamp Forest is the primary area of Central Catchment where the Raffles' banded langur is found. The monkey groups inhabit forest fragments that have limited arboreal connections to other fragments. Other contributors to the species' decline in Singapore have been hunting for food and the pet trade. The species has been legally protected in Singapore since 1947. The Singapore government hopes that
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#17327982600861364-554: The Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) the character meaning 'bright' was written as either 明 or 朙 —with either 日 'Sun' or 囧 'window' on the left, with the 月 'Moon' component on the right. Li Si ( d. 208 BC ), the Chancellor of Qin, attempted to universalize the Qin small seal script across China following the wars that had politically unified the country for
1426-911: The Singapore Zoo , the Night Safari and the River Safari , as well as several newer facilities built to encourage public appreciation of the reserve, such as the HSBC TreeTop Walk. The reserve sits within the boundaries of the Central Water Catchment . It is one of the four gazetted nature reserves in Singapore. The other three are the Labrador Nature Reserve which was gazetted since 1 January 2002, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve . All four nature reserves along with
1488-531: The states of ancient China , with his chief chronicler having "[written] fifteen chapters describing" what is referred to as the " big seal script ". The traditional narrative, as also attested in the Shuowen Jiezi dictionary ( c. 100 AD ), is that the Qin small seal script that would later be imposed across China was originally derived from the Zhou big seal script with few modifications. However,
1550-523: The "Dot" stroke : The traditional components ⺥ and 爫 become ⺈ : The traditional component 奐 becomes 奂 : Banded surili The Raffles' banded langur ( Presbytis femoralis ), also known as the banded leaf monkey or banded surili , is a species of primate in the family Cercopithecidae . It is endemic to Singapore and southern Peninsular Malaysia . The species underwent taxonomic revisions in 2019 and 2020, in which two former subspecies were elevated to separate species. As
1612-469: The 1919 May Fourth Movement —many anti-imperialist intellectuals throughout China began to see the country's writing system as a serious impediment to its modernization. In 1916, a multi-part English-language article entitled "The Problem of the Chinese Language" co-authored by the Chinese linguist Yuen Ren Chao (1892–1982) and poet Hu Shih (1891–1962) has been identified as a turning point in
1674-482: The 1986 General List of Simplified Chinese Characters , hereafter the General List . All characters simplified this way are enumerated in Chart 1 and Chart 2 in the 1986 Complete List . Characters in both charts are structurally simplified based on similar set of principles. They are separated into two charts to clearly mark those in Chart 2 as 'usable as simplified character components', based on which Chart 3
1736-520: The 1986 mainland China revisions. Unlike in mainland China, Singapore parents have the option of registering their children's names in traditional characters. Malaysia also promulgated a set of simplified characters in 1981, though completely identical to the mainland Chinese set. They are used in Chinese-language schools. All characters simplified this way are enumerated in Charts 1 and 2 of
1798-470: The Chinese government published a major revision to the list which included a total of 8300 characters. No new simplifications were introduced. In addition, slight modifications to the orthography of 44 characters to fit traditional calligraphic rules were initially proposed, but were not implemented due to negative public response. Also, the practice of unrestricted simplification of rare and archaic characters by analogy using simplified radicals or components
1860-534: The Evolution Lab of the National University of Singapore , launched an ecological study to determine suitable conservation strategies. A 2012 study found extremely low genetic diversity within the remaining Singapore population and suggested that translocation of Raffles' banded langurs from Malaysia may be necessary to provide the Singapore population with enough genetic diversity to survive in
1922-598: The People's Republic, the idea of a mass simplification of character forms first gained traction in China during the early 20th century. In 1909, the educator and linguist Lufei Kui formally proposed the use of simplified characters in education for the first time. Over the following years—marked by the 1911 Xinhai Revolution that toppled the Qing dynasty , followed by growing social and political discontent that further erupted into
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1984-606: The adjacent Bukit Timah Nature Reserve , has been identified by BirdLife International as the Central Forest Important Bird Area (IBA) because it supports populations of vulnerable straw-headed bulbuls and brown-chested jungle flycatchers . The nature reserve contains a 250-metre suspension bridge. The HSBC TreeTop Walk opened to public on 5 November 2004. It connects the two highest points in MacRitchie – Bukit Pierce and Bukit Kalang. At
2046-635: The authors found low infant mortality, with several infants surviving at least to seven months old. The study also found that the infant coloration of the Singapore population is indistinguishable from that of the Johor , Malaysia population, with infants having white fur with a black stripe down the back from the head to the tail, crossed by another black stripe across the shoulders and to the forearms. Males leave their natal group before reaching maturity, at about 4 years old. The call of mature males sounds like "ke-ke-ke." Mammalogist Ronald M. Nowak described
2108-601: The back and sides with white-colored fur forming a band on the chest and along the inner thighs. The Raffles' banded langur is diurnal and arboreal , preferring rainforest with trees of the family Dipterocarpaceae . It comes to the ground less frequently than most other leaf monkeys. It lives in both primary and secondary forest , and also in swamp forests and mangrove forests , and even in rubber plantations . It moves primarily by walking on all fours and by leaping. According to wildlife researcher Charles Francis, it typically lives in groups of 3 to 6. However,
2170-444: The body of epigraphic evidence comparing the character forms used by scribes gives no indication of any real consolidation in character forms prior to the founding of the Qin. The Han dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) that inherited the Qin administration coincided with the perfection of clerical script through the process of libian . Eastward spread of Western learning Though most closely associated with
2232-447: The broadest trend in the evolution of Chinese characters over their history has been simplification, both in graphical shape ( 字形 ; zìxíng ), the "external appearances of individual graphs", and in graphical form ( 字体 ; 字體 ; zìtǐ ), "overall changes in the distinguishing features of graphic[al] shape and calligraphic style, [...] in most cases refer[ring] to rather obvious and rather substantial changes". The initiatives following
2294-407: The chosen variants, those that appear in the "Complete List of Simplified Characters" are also simplified in character structure accordingly. Some examples follow: Sample reduction of equivalent variants : Ancient variants with simple structure are preferred : Simpler vulgar forms are also chosen : The chosen variant was already simplified in Chart 1 : In some instances, the chosen variant
2356-595: The confusion they caused. In August 2009, China began collecting public comments for a revised list of simplified characters; the resulting List of Commonly Used Standard Chinese Characters lists 8,105 characters, including a few revised forms, and was implemented for official use by China's State Council on 5 June 2013. In Chinese, simplified characters are referred to by their official name 简化字 ; jiǎnhuàzì , or colloquially as 简体字 ; jiǎntǐzì . The latter term refers broadly to all character variants featuring simplifications of character form or structure,
2418-656: The country. In 1935, the first official list of simplified forms was published, consisting of 324 characters collated by Peking University professor Qian Xuantong . However, fierce opposition within the KMT resulted in the list being rescinded in 1936. Work throughout the 1950s resulted in the 1956 promulgation of the Chinese Character Simplification Scheme , a draft of 515 simplified characters and 54 simplified components, whose simplifications would be present in most compound characters. Over
2480-419: The development of Thomson Nature Park near Central Catchment will help maintain the Raffles' banded langur population, since it is located near a traditional feeding area for the monkeys and will increase the forested area they can use. Rope bridges are being used to facilitate movements between Central Catchment and nearby forest patches. The government also hopes that eventually when the vegetation matures
2542-583: The diet. Unlike some other monkeys, such as the long-tailed macaque , the banded langur destroys the seeds it eats, and so it is not a significant factor in dispersing seeds. The IUCN assessed Presbytis femoralis as being critically endangered in 2021. At the time they assessed the (then) subspecies P. f. femoralis as vulnerable . After the taxonomic reassessment, there are only about 300–400 Raffles' banded langurs remaining—about 250 to 300 and possibly fewer in Malaysia and about 60 in Singapore. As
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2604-500: The distribution as "Sumatra etc.", not mentioning Singapore explicitly, resulting in some confusion over the actual type locality . Gerrit Smith Miller Jr. resolved the issue in 1934, determining that Singapore was the actual type locality. The Raffles' banded langur is 43.2 to 61.0 centimetres (17.0 to 24.0 in) long, excluding the tail, with a tail length of 61.0 to 83.8 centimetres (24.0 to 33.0 in). It weighs 5.9 to 8.2 kilograms (13 to 18 lb). It has dark fur on
2666-447: The economic problems in China during that time. Lu Xun , one of the most prominent Chinese authors of the 20th century, stated that "if Chinese characters are not destroyed, then China will die" ( 漢字不滅，中國必亡 ). During the 1930s and 1940s, discussions regarding simplification took place within the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party. Many members of the Chinese intelligentsia maintained that simplification would increase literacy rates throughout
2728-512: The first time. Li prescribed the 朙 form of the word for 'bright', but some scribes ignored this and continued to write the character as 明 . However, the increased usage of 朙 was followed by proliferation of a third variant: 眀 , with 目 'eye' on the left—likely derived as a contraction of 朙 . Ultimately, 明 became the character's standard form. The Book of Han (111 AD) describes an earlier attempt made by King Xuan of Zhou ( d. 782 BC ) to unify character forms across
2790-475: The following decade, the Script Reform Committee deliberated on characters in the 1956 scheme, collecting public input regarding the recognizability of variants, and often approving forms in small batches. Parallel to simplification, there were also initiatives aimed at eliminating the use of characters entirely and replacing them with pinyin as an official Chinese alphabet, but this possibility
2852-430: The founding of the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) to universalize the use of their small seal script across the recently conquered parts of the empire is generally seen as being the first real attempt at script reform in Chinese history. Before the 20th century, variation in character shape on the part of scribes, which would continue with the later invention of woodblock printing , was ubiquitous. For example, prior to
2914-442: The highest point, the bridge hangs 25 metres from the forest floor. The difficulty level of the trail ranges from moderate to difficult. The suspension bridge serves an important role in forest canopy research, giving researchers access to areas well off the ground. To preserve the tranquility of the environment and for safety reasons, the number of people allowed on the walkway is capped at 30. Visitors will only be able to travel along
2976-556: The history of the Chinese script—as it was one of the first clear calls for China to move away from the use of characters entirely. Instead, Chao proposed that the language be written with an alphabet, which he saw as more logical and efficient. The alphabetization and simplification campaigns would exist alongside one another among the Republican intelligentsia for the next several decades. Recent commentators have echoed some contemporary claims that Chinese characters were blamed for
3038-574: The long run. In 2016, a cross-border partnership between Singapore and Malaysia was formed with the establishment of a Raffles' Banded Langur Working Group funded by the Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund. The main threat to the Singapore population appears to be habitat loss. 99.8% of Singapore's original primary forest , including much of its dipterocarp flora, has been eliminated, with less than 200 ha remaining, primarily in Bukit Timah and
3100-533: The mainland has been encouraged by the Chinese government since the 1950s. They are the official forms used in mainland China and Singapore , while traditional characters are officially used in Hong Kong , Macau , and Taiwan . Simplification of a component—either a character or a sub-component called a radical —usually involves either a reduction in its total number of strokes , or an apparent streamlining of which strokes are chosen in what places—for example,
3162-531: The narrow walkway in one direction, by entering from the Bukit Pierce entrance and exiting through the Petaling Trail. Rangers are deployed along the 10.3-kilometre trail to ensure safety. The CCNR provides free guided tours to schools and the general public. This is part of National Parks Board's efforts to educate people about the conservation of nature areas in Singapore. The banded leaf monkey
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#17327982600863224-448: The nearby Bukit Timah Nature Reserve . The park has been designated with the code 9V-0008 by the international Parks On The Air award program, and so is regularly 'activated' by Amateur Radio operators using portable equipment. The nature reserve boasts a rich biodiversity with over 500 animal species including crab-eating macaque , colugo , common treeshrew , Sunda slow loris and Sunda pangolin . Central Catchment Nature Reserve
3286-536: The parks are protected under the Parks & Trees Act 2005. The nature reserve acts as a catchment area for the surrounding reservoirs. The country's main reservoirs – MacRitchie , Upper Seletar , Upper Peirce and Lower Peirce are located within the reserve. Most forests in the CCNR were cleared for logging and cultivation unlike Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, which remain relatively undisturbed. The CCNR now consists of
3348-430: The public and quickly fell out of official use. It was ultimately formally rescinded in 1986. The second-round simplifications were unpopular in large part because most of the forms were completely new, in contrast to the familiar variants comprising the majority of the first round. With the rescission of the second round, work toward further character simplification largely came to an end. In 1986, authorities retracted
3410-481: The same set of simplified characters as mainland China. The first round was promulgated by the Ministry of Education in 1969, consisting of 498 simplified characters derived from 502 traditional characters. A second round of 2287 simplified characters was promulgated in 1974. The second set contained 49 differences from the mainland China system; these were removed in the final round in 1976. In 1993, Singapore adopted
3472-467: The second round completely, though they had been largely fallen out of use within a year of their initial introduction. That year, the authorities also promulgated a final version of the General List of Simplified Chinese Characters . It was identical to the 1964 list save for 6 changes—including the restoration of 3 characters that had been simplified in the first round: 叠 , 覆 , 像 ; the form 疊
3534-559: The sighting at the website of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum . Concerns have been raised as to whether construction of the Cross Island MRT line through Central Catchment may adversely impact the Raffles' banded langur population in the area. In 2020 a group of two dusky leaf monkeys was observed in Singapore, possibly having swum from Johor, and they were able to chase away
3596-521: The species' alarm call as "a harsh rattle followed by a loud chak-chak-chak-chak." Raffles' banded langurs have occasionally been observed being groomed by long-tailed macaques . The Raffles' banded langur has a primarily vegetarian diet. Specialized bacteria in its gut allow it to digest leaves and unripe fruit. The Perawang study found that nearly 60% of the diet consisted of fruits and seeds. Another 30% consisted of leaves, primarily young leaves. A different study found that fruit made up 49% of
3658-510: The states of Johor and Pahang of southern Peninsular Malaysia , P. f. robinsoni lives in the northern Malay Peninsula , including southern Myanmar and Thailand , and P. f. percura lives in east-central Sumatra . Genetic data suggested that at least P. f. femoralis and P. f. robinsoni were different species which was also in agreement with their morphological characters. However, resolving all subspecies-level boundaries within banded langurs required data for P. f. percura , which
3720-833: The traditional character 強 , with 11 strokes is standardised as 强 , with 12 strokes, which is a variant character. Such characters do not constitute simplified characters. The new standardized character forms shown in the Characters for Publishing and revised through the Common Modern Characters list tend to adopt vulgar variant character forms. Since the new forms take vulgar variants, many characters now appear slightly simpler compared to old forms, and as such are often mistaken as structurally simplified characters. Some examples follow: The traditional component 釆 becomes 米 : The traditional component 囚 becomes 日 : The traditional "Break" stroke becomes
3782-464: Was abandoned, confirmed by a speech given by Zhou Enlai in 1958. In 1965, the PRC published the List of Commonly Used Characters for Printing [ zh ] (hereafter Characters for Printing ), which included standard printed forms for 6196 characters, including all of the forms from the 1956 scheme. A second round of simplified characters was promulgated in 1977, but was poorly received by
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#17327982600863844-517: Was the least studied among them. Most recently, mitochondrial genomes were obtained for P. f. percura , and based on multiple species delimitation algorithms (PTP, ABGD, Objective Clustering) applied to a dataset covering 39 species and 43 subspecies of Asian colobines , all three subspecies of banded langurs were resurrected to species. William Charles Linnaeus Martin formally described P. femoralis based on material that had been collected by Sir Stamford Raffles in Singapore. Martin had given
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