A Chrome extension that replaces your new tab page with a random Mandarin Chinese character. Each new tab displays the character, pinyin, phonetic pronunciation, and English meaning.
- Random character on every new tab
- Word categories with toggles in the settings panel:
- HSK 1 (always on) — essential characters
- HSK 2–6 — progressively advanced vocabulary
- Internet — web navigation terms (search, login, download, etc.)
- Software — development terms (code, deploy, merge, etc.)
- Optional Unsplash background images (Chinese landscapes)
- Clean, minimal design with large character display
- Settings persist across tabs
- Clone or download this repository
- Open
chrome://extensionsin Chrome - Enable Developer mode (top right)
- Click Load unpacked and select the
zhongwendirectory - Open a new tab
To enable background images:
- Create a free account at unsplash.com/developers
- Create a new application to get an Access Key
- Click the gear icon on the new tab page
- Paste your Access Key into the input field
Images are cached for 30 minutes to stay within rate limits.
| Category | Entries |
|---|---|
| HSK 1 | 154 |
| HSK 2 | 140 |
| HSK 3 | 103 |
| HSK 4 | 103 |
| HSK 5 | 115 |
| HSK 6 | 101 |
| Internet | 32 |
| Software | 32 |
Plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. No build step, no dependencies. Chrome Manifest V3.