Shaanxi: Local Dialect Language Corner Attracts Many

Located in a small garden east of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, one of the citys most famous historical relics, the language corner is run by several young artists.

These young artists teach tourists to say simple words and phrases in daily conversation and read out literary works from the Han and Tang Dynasties in the near-defunct Shaanxi dialect.

The dialect-practicing crowd has aroused the interests of many, including some overseas students studying in Xian. The popularity of the dialect-learning corner is similiar to that of the many English-language corners in the city.

According to one artist at the language corner, the Shaanxi dialect was regarded as "elegant language" in ancient times and spoken by emperors, royal families, government officials and foreign delegates. However, these days, the local Shaanxi dialect is rarely heard and only exists in theatrical productions. The artists aimed to preserve this valuable dialect by starting the language corner.

"The Shaanxi dialect reflects how people living in Shaanxi see the world. It is an identity of the Shaanxi people and should be protected. Protecting local dialects does not harm the efforts of promoting Mandarin," said a professor at a recently held international seminar on Xians history and culture.