Students who learn Chinese online or work with an online Chinese teacher typically study Mandarin, but this represents only one of many Chinese languages spoken across China and beyond. Cantonese, Shanghainese, Hokkien, and dozens of other regional languages have historically served as primary means of communication for hundreds of millions of people. However, promoting Mandarin have also raised concerns about whether these regional languages will survive, with Cantonese representing the most prominent case study in language preservation.
Cantonese is spoken by approximately 85 million people worldwide, primarily in Guangdong province, Hong Kong, Macau, and overseas Chinese communities. The language has distinct tones and vocabulary that make it mutually unintelligible with Mandarin. A Mandarin speaker and a Cantonese speaker cannot understand each other, though both use similar written characters.
In Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province and the birthplace of Cantonese, the language’s status has declined noticeably. The city has become a manufacturing and technology hub attracting Mandarin speakers from across China. While Cantonese was once the dominant language, many young people today can only understand Cantonese but do not speak it fluently. A 2010 proposal to increase Mandarin programming on Cantonese television channels generated significant public backlash, forcing the government to provide reassurances about Cantonese preservation.
Hong Kong presents a more complex situation. Over 6.3 million residents reported Cantonese as their usual spoken language in the 2021 census, representing the vast majority of the population. The city maintains an official policy of trilingualism in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. However, political developments have created new pressures. In 2023, authorities raided the home of a Cantonese language advocacy group founder, eventually leading to the group’s dissolution.
Institutions teaching Chinese to foreigners have also adapted to these realities. GoEast Mandarin in Shanghai, one of the most well-renowned teaching institutions, focuses on teaching Mandarin as the standard language while acknowledging that students may encounter Cantonese and other regional languages depending on where they travel or work in Chinese-speaking regions. They will at least raise Chinese dialects in their lessons. The practical reality is that Mandarin provides the broadest access across mainland China, while Cantonese remains essential for anyone working extensively in Guangdong, Hong Kong, or with Cantonese-speaking communities abroad.
Other regional Chinese languages face even greater challenges than Cantonese. Shanghainese, spoken in Shanghai and surrounding areas, has declined significantly among younger generations. Many children in Shanghai grow up speaking only Mandarin even when their parents and grandparents speak Shanghainese.
However, Cantonese also benefits from significant cultural resources that other regional languages lack. Hong Kong’s entertainment industry has produced decades of films, television shows, and music in Cantonese that remain popular across Cantonese-speaking regions. This media infrastructure helps maintain the language’s prestige and provides continuous exposure to Cantonese for younger generations. Other regional languages lack comparable media ecosystems, making preservation more difficult.