城chéng

Simplified form (簡體). 城 (chéng, "city, wall") remains unchanged from its traditional counterpart, combining the earth radical 土 with 成 — the latter originally a ceremonial axe, later adopted for its phonetic value in this ancient compound for fortified earthworks. As a character, it anchors the modern vocabulary of urban life in 城市 (city), 城墙 (city wall), and 城镇 (town), proving that the fundamental concept of a walled settlement has lost none of its relevance across the centuries.