Source #
In 2019, I stumbled upon a browser extension named “Jizhi” which displayed a layered wave animation effect of traditional Chinese colors on the browser’s new tab page, accompanied by classic poetry. It was so charming and profound that I couldn’t help but stare at the waves and verses, feeling calm yet traveling thousands of miles in my mind, experiencing a very unique sensation. I often recommended it to friends, and it has been in use for several years.
Jizhi is fantastic, but its only drawback is that it can only be used on computers. Every time I open my phone, I feel like something is missing. I thought, when I have time, could I make a mobile version of Jizhi? This is the origin of “Suci”.
Differences Between Suci and Jizhi #
For me, the essence of the Jizhi plugin is its simplicity and naturalness: the ingenious use of traditional Chinese colors and the classic pairing with famous poetry verses create a unique charm and artistic conception, which is simplicity. Jizhi is displayed on the tab page, and it updates the poetry and colors when switching tabs. Opening a new tab is the first step to surfing the internet, and Jizhi does not interrupt or disturb the user, yet it appears before the user every time without any effort, which is naturalness. It mainly offers silent companionship and serendipity.
How to achieve this on a mobile phone? I thought of an App + widget combination, displaying poetry on the widget. If users are interested, they can click the widget to open the App.
Compared to the Jizhi plugin, Suci has added the following features:
Transcription: Trace the poetry text to feel the beauty of the poetry, which is especially useful for those who have forgotten how to write Chinese characters after typing on phones and computers for a long time. Generally, only transcription allows saving the verses.
Collection: For verses that you like but don’t have time to transcribe, you can click to collect them for later transcription.
Text Explanation: Long press on the poetry text to view the explanation of the characters, including pronunciation and meaning.
Text-to-Speech: Read out the poetry verses.
Why It’s Called Suci #
Initially, I named it “Hongdou”, its means “Red beans”, from Chinese classical poetry:
Red beans grow in the southern lands
in spring they sprout a few branches
I wish you to pick more
this thing is the most reminiscent
From any perspective, this name was very suitable, but unfortunately, it was already taken. After much thought, I named it “Suci,” where “Suci” means simplicity, elegance, and unadorned, which also fits the tone of the application, so it was settled.
In Conclusion
I would like to express my gratitude to unicar9, the author of Jizhi, and recommend everyone to try the JizhiJizhi plugin.
The first version of Suci’s main features has been developed and is now available on the App Store. We will continue to optimize and adjust based on feedback.
Welcome to download and use Suci:https://suci.bbsmp.me. If you like it, please leave a good review, and we welcome any suggestions to help us keep updating.