by Yiwen Wang
In my “Regional and Social Dialect” presentation, I posed the question: “Does media play a suppressing or promoting role in the development of dialects?” My classmates argued that the media does suppress dialects, as the promotion of Mandarin by national media indeed limits the spread of dialects. This perspective is reasonable, as national media usually focus on promoting the official language to ensure linguistic unity across the country. However, if we turn our attention to grassroots social media, we can observe that dialects have been appearing more frequently over the past few years.
For example, last year, the Chinese government launched dialect-based tourism promotional videos to boost tourism, with the Northeastern dialect（东北话 Dong Bei Hua) being particularly prominent. Although the Northeastern dialect is a variation of Mandarin, its bold and enthusiastic expression differs greatly from southern dialects. The use of the Northeastern dialect in these tourism videos effectively showcased the warmth and hospitality of the people here, attracting visitors from all over the country. Similarly, local influencers also use dialects on social media platforms to promote regional culture, with videos featuring minority languages and cultures gaining widespread attention.
Not only in short videos and social media, but Chinese social films have also gradually incorporated more dialect performances. Although Mandarin remains the dominant language, compared to previous years when characters almost exclusively spoke Mandarin, more characters now use dialects to highlight their regional backgrounds, personalities, and socioeconomic status. For example, when a character speaks Sichuanese or Min dialect, the audience can immediately identify the character’s background and identity, making the character feel more authentic and multi-dimensional. However, this also presents some issues—most dialects featured are from more economically developed or popular regions, such as Sichuan, Yunnan, and Fujian, which leaves dialects from remote areas overlooked. Additionally, while some dialects appear more frequently, their portrayal is often simplified or stereotyped in entertainment, which can hinder genuine cultural understanding.
Another example is the popular global game Black Myth: Wukong released this summer, which uses the Shaanxi dialect (Jin) and Shaanbei rap culture for its voiceovers and music. The song The Yellow Wind Rises showcases the rough and powerful nature of the Shaanxi dialect and brings the local culture of Shaanbei to a wider audience, allowing more people to appreciate the uniqueness of these regional dialects.
Therefore, I believe that social media and grassroots platforms have, to a certain extent, promoted the development of dialects. They provide a space for dialects to be displayed and shared, allowing dialect cultures to gain recognition and appreciation on a larger scale. Although national media still primarily promote Mandarin, local and grassroots media are actively playing a role, making dialects more than just “informal” forms of language; they are becoming symbols of cultural identity and regional uniqueness.
