Forum: Dialects an intrinsic part of heritage and must be preserved

Since the introduction of the Speak Mandarin Campaign in 1979, all Hong Kong-produced media such as films and television series shown in public cinemas and TV stations have been dubbed in Mandarin.

Cultural emotions and nuances cannot be conveyed exactly in another dialect.

The critically acclaimed Hong Kong movie The Last Dance (2024) was screened in its original Cantonese at a film festival here. I then watched it in a local cinema but it was dubbed in Mandarin – and some of the original flavour was lost in translation.

This was also the case with another acclaimed Hong Kong movie, Papa (2024).

Films in foreign languages are screened in their native language with English and/or Chinese subtitles. Similarly, I hope Hong Kong films can be screened in Cantonese with English and/or Chinese subtitles too.

The Speak Mandarin Campaign has been so successful that people are speaking more Mandarin than dialects.

However, I’ve noticed that dialects have subtly been reintroduced. Some Channel 8 programmes have Hokkien or multi-dialect versions. But these serve a specific purpose: to promote national policies or share health messages.

In Chinatown, Bishan, Bedok, Clementi and Outram Park MRT stations, we can hear escalator safety announcements in Hokkien and Cantonese.

The Government has been promoting the preservation of our heritage. Besides heritage trades, languages, specifically dialects, are an intrinsic part of our heritage too.

Chow Mun Zing