Nantou Hua  (南头话)  is a variety of Cantonese belonging to the Guanbao subgroup, historically spoken in Nantou, the old administrative center of what is now Shenzhen's Nanshan district and surrounding areas. It preserves a number of features that distinguish it from standard Cantonese. Today, Nantou Hua is considered an endangered variety: rapid urbanization and large-scale migration into Shenzhen have shifted the local linguistic ecology towards Mandarin, leaving the dialect with a shrinking pool of active speakers, primarily among the older generations (born before 1980s)

Growing Up Around Nantou Hua

My dad's side of the family speaks Nantou Hua, but I grew up without much interest in it. As a child, it seemed neither particularly useful nor noteworthy, simply the language that part of my family used with each other. I did not make an effort to learn it, and in many ways I treated it as part of the unexamined background of family life.

The perspective has changed significantly over time, particularly as I have become a linguist. I now recognize how remarkable Nantou Hua is, both for its retention of older Chinese features and for the sociolinguistic story it tells about Shenzhen's transformation. 

Returning to Nantou Hua has been both a personal reconnection and a professional discovery. It is a reminder of my heritage that i am proud of, and a thread weaving together my heritage and my linguistic passion.