🗣️ Dialect renaissance: 10 Chinese dialect influencers to watch | Following the Yuan
Once upon a time, speaking Mandarin with an accent in China was looked down upon. That is not the case anymore (at least with these influencers).
Once upon a time, speaking Mandarin with an accent in China was considered uneducated and was looked down upon. However, in the last few years, influencers who speak in their dialects have surged in popularity. How did we get here?
The rise of dialect influencers is a clear expression of China’s inward-looking cultural momentum that intensified during and after COVID. During this period, Chinese consumers were largely confined to traveling within a short radius (as short as 13.1km according to Trip.com data in 2021) and began to uncover local inspirations.
Tourism, culture, food, and language go hand-in-hand. Riding on China’s rising cultural confidence, as domestic tourism continues to soar after China reopens in late 2022, online content centered on and with dialects has started taking hold.
Out of many cultural influencers, we selected 10 representative ones who speak dialects of Guangdong province, Shanghai, Chongqing, Tianjin, Guizhou, etc., whose creator careers took off in recent years.
We hope this is particular relevant for marketers and brands, as this cultural shift mirrors broader changes in consumer aspirations. Through these creators, we also hope to show how everyday consumers are being shaped by Chinese online culture today.
Cantonese
@卖凉茶只狗 (A corgi who sells herbal tea)
About: vlogs of 6-year-old Pad’s life at a herbal tea store in Foshan, Guangdong province, narrated in Cantonese
Social media following: 418k (Douyin), 92k (RedNote)
His owner pretends to pass out with an egg roll in her hand, and Pad walks straight past her for the food.
@马克西姆MaximYuan
About: A Beijinger who loves Cantonese, British English, and Mandarin with an HK accent.
Social media following: 724k (Douyin), 267k (Bilibili), 139k (RedNote)
Him imitating a Beijing bus ticket agent and a Guangzhou subway announcer for the viral subway station Jianghe Wanggang in Guangzhou.
As one of the metro system’s busiest hubs, Jianghe Wanggang serves as a key gateway to multiple major transport nodes including airport and railway station. For many people, this is where goodbyes happen. Over time, Jiahewanggang has become a cultural symbol of departure in the collective imagination, Xinhua explains.
Interview: Weiweipo, New Weekly
Shanghainese
@G僧东 (G Seng Dong)
About: funny short videos documenting Shanghai’s culture and everyday street life, narrated in Shanghainese
Social media following: 1076k (Douyin), 766k (Bilibili), 300k (RedNote)
Him summarizing the must-have elements of a picnic in Shanghai, including newspapers (“must be in English!”) and pretty fruits like strawberries.
Chongqingnese
@浪王是我 (Lang King is me)
About: sharing daily life at the café “Huang Xuezhen Coffee” he runs with his wife, narrated in Chongqing dialect.
Social media following: 50k (RedNote), 35k (Bilibili)
What if we were to die tomorrow? The video offers an anti-anxiety perspective that mirrors the values they hope to convey through their community coffee shop.
Tianjinese
@大腿麻了 (Thighs are numb)
About: A bilingual Chinese-English Tianjin native who grew up in Sydney, using the Tianjin dialect to create skits that blend Chinese and Western cultures
Social media following: 864k (Douyin), 68k (Bilibili)
Using different effects to coax a child to sleep, switching between languages (Tianjinese and English) and personas.
Guizhounese
@淡淡糊 (Darby Hu)
About: A stand-up comedian who uses the Zunyi dialect of Guizhou to joke about all aspects of daily life.
Social media following: 725k (Douyin), 104k (RedNote)
A short skit about going home for Chinese New Year and being pressured by relatives to get married and have kids.
Hangzhounese
@上头马良 (Obsessed Ma Liang)
About: A flute teacher famous for imitating Hangzhou “aunties,” narrated in the Hangzhou dialect.
Social media following: 106k (Douyin), 314k (RedNote)
She sharply comments on Beckham’s recent family conflict, reinterpreting it through a Chinese cultural lens, and concludes by pointing out that the traditional physiognomy plays a role in preventing conflicts.
Suzhounese
@港妹妹 join (silly sister join)
About: Skilled at impersonating older teachers from the Wu-dialect region, narrated in Suzhou dialect.
Social media following: 1194k (Douyin), 343k (RedNote)
This video reenacts a scene of a middle-aged Suzhounese-speaking teacher dealing with a misbehaving student. Wu Chinese, known for its complex phonology with many vowels and voiced consonants, mainly encompasses dialects in Shanghai, southern Jiangsu province and Zhejiang province.
Chengdunese
@嘟嘟酱啊啊啊 (Dudu-chan Ahhh)
About: A Chengdu-dialect beauty reviewer who shares tips on weight loss, shopping, makeup, etc.
Social media following: 2394k (Douyin), 1388k (RedNote)
Top video:
This video recommends affordable beauty products under 30 RMB.
Shaanxinese
@盼盼的vlog. (Vlog of Panpan)
About: Documents daily life, narrated in Xi’an dialect. She updates a 5-10 min vlog every single day.
Social media following: 605k (Douyin), 12k (RedNote)
An ordinary working day from morning to night in Mandarin mixed with Xi’an dialect.
“Speaking Mandarin with an accent was looked down upon” - but you’re talking about dialects here, not accents, yes? In Shanghai, the dialect’s quietly been making a little comeback for more than a decade—bus announcements, even teaching in some kindergartens.