I’m building Hanzi Stroke (https://www.hanzistroke.com) to solve a very specific problem: learning to write Chinese characters is unintuitive for non-native learners.
Most learners rely on rote memorization, which is inefficient and often leads to incorrect stroke habits. While there are dictionary apps that show static stroke order diagrams, they lack interactivity. The key to muscle memory is deliberate practice with immediate feedback.
So, I made a single-page application that provides: Dynamic stroke order animations for over 9,000 characters. Interactive canvas practice where you trace characters on screen, stroke-by-stroke, with guidance. A structured curriculum based on the official HSK 1-9 vocabulary lists. Some technical aspects that might interest you: The frontend is built with Vue.js for a reactive experience, and the stroke data is parsed from a structured source. A core challenge was designing the stroke-matching logic to be both pedagogically correct and forgiving enough for learners. The goal was to create a focused, ad-free tool that does one thing well. This is a bootstrapped project born from my own experience teaching Chinese. It’s not another gamified language app; it’s a practical workbook reimagined for the web.
I’d love for the HN community to try it, especially if you've ever been curious about learning Chinese. But more importantly, I'm keen to hear your thoughts: For learners: Does this approach make the writing process less daunting? For builders: How have you tackled similar challenges in making "traditional" skills interactive? All feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you!