Wu Chinese

Wu dialects

Areas where Wu is spoken

Wu is a group of Chinese dialects spoken in the area around Shanghai in southern China.

Wu dialects have been spoken by some important people such as Chiang Kai-shek. However, the dialects are as different from one another as Spanish is from French. Speakers of Wu cannot always understand one another's dialects. In fact, Wu is a name that is used mainly by linguists, people who study languages.

There are various subgroups of Wu Chinese.

Like for other types of Chinese, the Wu dialects are being replaced by Mandarin.

This language has its own Wikipedia project. See the Wu Chinese edition.

Wu Chinese Media

Migratory routes into or out of the early modern limits of Wu Chinese
A yi vessel from the Wu yue state
Error creating thumbnail: About to transcode 1 SVG file(s)
Converting General_southward_migrations_during_the_Upheaval_of_the_Five_Barbarians.svg to /var/www/html/w/images/temp/transform_8e2ff9f31a54.png ... org.w3c.dom.DOMException: file:/var/www/html/w/images/temp/svg_fe1385752ea3cfb539fb8397/General_southward_migrations_during_the_Upheaval_of_the_Five_Barbarians.svg: The attribute "style" represents an invalid CSS declaration ("fill:context-stroke;fill-rule:evenodd;stroke:context-stroke;stroke-width:1pt"). Original message: The "context-stroke" identifier is not a valid value for the "fill" property. at org.apache.batik.css.engine.CSSEngine.getCascadedStyleMap(CSSEngine.java:824) at org.apache.batik.css.engine.CSSEngine.getComputedStyle(CSSEngine.java:867) at org.apache.batik.bridge.CSSUtilities.getComputedStyle(CSSUtilities.java:81) at org.apache.batik.bridge.CSSUtilities.convertDisplay(CSSUtilities.java:563) at org.apache.batik.bridge.AbstractGraphicsNodeBridge.getDisplay(AbstractGraphicsNodeBridge.java:158) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.build(GVTBuilder.java:134) at org.apache.batik.bridge.SVGMarkerElementBridge.createMarker(SVGMarkerElementBridge.java:83) at org.apache.batik.bridge.PaintServer.convertMarker(PaintServer.java:137) at org.apache.batik.bridge.PaintServer.convertMarkers(PaintServer.java:98) at org.apache.batik.bridge.SVGDecoratedShapeElementBridge.createMarkerPainter(SVGDecoratedShapeElementBridge.java:67) at org.apache.batik.bridge.SVGDecoratedShapeElementBridge.createShapePainter(SVGDecoratedShapeElementBridge.java:86) at org.apache.batik.bridge.SVGShapeElementBridge.buildGraphicsNode(SVGShapeElementBridge.java:91) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.buildGraphicsNode(GVTBuilder.java:224) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.buildComposite(GVTBuilder.java:171) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.build(GVTBuilder.java:82) at org.apache.batik.transcoder.SVGAbstractTranscoder.transcode(SVGAbstractTranscoder.java:210) at org.apache.batik.transcoder.image.ImageTranscoder.transcode(ImageTranscoder.java:92) at org.apache.batik.transcoder.XMLAbstractTranscoder.transcode(XMLAbstractTranscoder.java:142) at org.apache.batik.transcoder.SVGAbstractTranscoder.transcode(SVGAbstractTranscoder.java:158) at org.apache.batik.apps.rasterizer.SVGConverter.transcode(SVGConverter.java:1008) at org.apache.batik.apps.rasterizer.SVGConverter.execute(SVGConverter.java:719) at org.apache.batik.apps.rasterizer.Main.execute(Main.java:956) at org.apache.batik.apps.rasterizer.Main.main(Main.java:1009) ERROR: null Enclosed Exception: file:/var/www/html/w/images/temp/svg_fe1385752ea3cfb539fb8397/General_southward_migrations_during_the_Upheaval_of_the_Five_Barbarians.svg: The attribute "style" represents an invalid CSS declaration ("fill:context-stroke;fill-rule:evenodd;stroke:context-stroke;stroke-width:1pt"). Original message: The "context-stroke" identifier is not a valid value for the "fill" property. org.apache.batik.transcoder.TranscoderException: null Enclosed Exception: For input string: "auto-start-reverse" at org.apache.batik.transcoder.SVGAbstractTranscoder.transcode(SVGAbstractTranscoder.java:228) at org.apache.batik.transcoder.image.ImageTranscoder.transcode(ImageTranscoder.java:92) at org.apache.batik.transcoder.XMLAbstractTranscoder.transcode(XMLAbstractTranscoder.java:142) at org.apache.batik.transcoder.SVGAbstractTranscoder.transcode(SVGAbstractTranscoder.java:158) at org.apache.batik.apps.rasterizer.SVGConverter.transcode(SVGConverter.java:1008) at org.apache.batik.apps.rasterizer.SVGConverter.execute(SVGConverter.java:719) at org.apache.batik.apps.rasterizer.Main.execute(Main.java:956) at org.apache.batik.apps.rasterizer.Main.main(Main.java:1009) Caused by: org.apache.batik.bridge.BridgeException: For input string: "auto-start-reverse" at org.apache.batik.bridge.SVGMarkerElementBridge.createMarker(SVGMarkerElementBridge.java:134) at org.apache.batik.bridge.PaintServer.convertMarker(PaintServer.java:137) at org.apache.batik.bridge.PaintServer.convertMarkers(PaintServer.java:98) at org.apache.batik.bridge.SVGDecoratedShapeElementBridge.createMarkerPainter(SVGDecoratedShapeElementBridge.java:67) at org.apache.batik.bridge.SVGDecoratedShapeElementBridge.createShapePainter(SVGDecoratedShapeElementBridge.java:86) at org.apache.batik.bridge.SVGShapeElementBridge.buildGraphicsNode(SVGShapeElementBridge.java:91) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.buildGraphicsNode(GVTBuilder.java:224) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.buildComposite(GVTBuilder.java:171) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.build(GVTBuilder.java:82) at org.apache.batik.transcoder.SVGAbstractTranscoder.transcode(SVGAbstractTranscoder.java:210) ... 7 more ... error (SVGConverter.error.while.rasterizing.file)

Migration routes into southern China during the Upheaval of the Five Barbarians
Error creating thumbnail: About to transcode 1 SVG file(s)
Converting Kentoshi_routes.svg to /var/www/html/w/images/temp/transform_43434aaace81.png ... org.w3c.dom.DOMException: file:/var/www/html/w/images/temp/svg_6a94e704e8bc0e0b44b0ecdc/Kentoshi_routes.svg: The attribute "style" represents an invalid CSS declaration ("fill:context-stroke;fill-rule:evenodd;stroke:context-stroke;stroke-width:1pt"). Original message: The "context-stroke" identifier is not a valid value for the "fill" property. at org.apache.batik.css.engine.CSSEngine.getCascadedStyleMap(CSSEngine.java:824) at org.apache.batik.css.engine.CSSEngine.getComputedStyle(CSSEngine.java:867) at org.apache.batik.bridge.CSSUtilities.getComputedStyle(CSSUtilities.java:81) at org.apache.batik.bridge.CSSUtilities.convertDisplay(CSSUtilities.java:563) at org.apache.batik.bridge.AbstractGraphicsNodeBridge.getDisplay(AbstractGraphicsNodeBridge.java:158) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.build(GVTBuilder.java:134) at org.apache.batik.bridge.SVGMarkerElementBridge.createMarker(SVGMarkerElementBridge.java:83) at org.apache.batik.bridge.PaintServer.convertMarker(PaintServer.java:137) at org.apache.batik.bridge.PaintServer.convertMarkers(PaintServer.java:98) at org.apache.batik.bridge.SVGDecoratedShapeElementBridge.createMarkerPainter(SVGDecoratedShapeElementBridge.java:67) at org.apache.batik.bridge.SVGDecoratedShapeElementBridge.createShapePainter(SVGDecoratedShapeElementBridge.java:86) at org.apache.batik.bridge.SVGShapeElementBridge.buildGraphicsNode(SVGShapeElementBridge.java:91) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.buildGraphicsNode(GVTBuilder.java:224) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.buildComposite(GVTBuilder.java:171) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.buildGraphicsNode(GVTBuilder.java:219) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.buildComposite(GVTBuilder.java:171) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.build(GVTBuilder.java:82) at org.apache.batik.transcoder.SVGAbstractTranscoder.transcode(SVGAbstractTranscoder.java:210) at org.apache.batik.transcoder.image.ImageTranscoder.transcode(ImageTranscoder.java:92) at org.apache.batik.transcoder.XMLAbstractTranscoder.transcode(XMLAbstractTranscoder.java:142) at org.apache.batik.transcoder.SVGAbstractTranscoder.transcode(SVGAbstractTranscoder.java:158) at org.apache.batik.apps.rasterizer.SVGConverter.transcode(SVGConverter.java:1008) at org.apache.batik.apps.rasterizer.SVGConverter.execute(SVGConverter.java:719) at org.apache.batik.apps.rasterizer.Main.execute(Main.java:956) at org.apache.batik.apps.rasterizer.Main.main(Main.java:1009) ERROR: null Enclosed Exception: file:/var/www/html/w/images/temp/svg_6a94e704e8bc0e0b44b0ecdc/Kentoshi_routes.svg: The attribute "style" represents an invalid CSS declaration ("fill:context-stroke;fill-rule:evenodd;stroke:context-stroke;stroke-width:1pt"). Original message: The "context-stroke" identifier is not a valid value for the "fill" property. org.apache.batik.transcoder.TranscoderException: null Enclosed Exception: For input string: "auto-start-reverse" at org.apache.batik.transcoder.SVGAbstractTranscoder.transcode(SVGAbstractTranscoder.java:228) at org.apache.batik.transcoder.image.ImageTranscoder.transcode(ImageTranscoder.java:92) at org.apache.batik.transcoder.XMLAbstractTranscoder.transcode(XMLAbstractTranscoder.java:142) at org.apache.batik.transcoder.SVGAbstractTranscoder.transcode(SVGAbstractTranscoder.java:158) at org.apache.batik.apps.rasterizer.SVGConverter.transcode(SVGConverter.java:1008) at org.apache.batik.apps.rasterizer.SVGConverter.execute(SVGConverter.java:719) at org.apache.batik.apps.rasterizer.Main.execute(Main.java:956) at org.apache.batik.apps.rasterizer.Main.main(Main.java:1009) Caused by: org.apache.batik.bridge.BridgeException: For input string: "auto-start-reverse" at org.apache.batik.bridge.SVGMarkerElementBridge.createMarker(SVGMarkerElementBridge.java:134) at org.apache.batik.bridge.PaintServer.convertMarker(PaintServer.java:137) at org.apache.batik.bridge.PaintServer.convertMarkers(PaintServer.java:98) at org.apache.batik.bridge.SVGDecoratedShapeElementBridge.createMarkerPainter(SVGDecoratedShapeElementBridge.java:67) at org.apache.batik.bridge.SVGDecoratedShapeElementBridge.createShapePainter(SVGDecoratedShapeElementBridge.java:86) at org.apache.batik.bridge.SVGShapeElementBridge.buildGraphicsNode(SVGShapeElementBridge.java:91) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.buildGraphicsNode(GVTBuilder.java:224) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.buildComposite(GVTBuilder.java:171) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.buildGraphicsNode(GVTBuilder.java:219) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.buildComposite(GVTBuilder.java:171) at org.apache.batik.bridge.GVTBuilder.build(GVTBuilder.java:82) at org.apache.batik.transcoder.SVGAbstractTranscoder.transcode(SVGAbstractTranscoder.java:210) ... 7 more ... error (SVGConverter.error.while.rasterizing.file)

The kentōshi route, the sea route from Japan to China
A 19th century illustration of medieval Hangzhou
Two performers of Suzhou pingtan
Title Page of Joseph Edkins's 1868 book A Grammar of Colloquial Chinese, as Exhibited in the Shanghai Dialect
A sign in Lishui urging people to speak Mandarin: "Speak Mandarin well — It's easier for all of us."
Shanghainese for "I love you" clearly visible on the façade of Shanghai Citibank in Lujiazui, Shanghai
This video shows the difference between Wu and Mandarin. At a church in Paris, the Beijing Mandarin spoken by the pastor (left) was interpreted into Wenzhounese, a Southern Wu language.
A video in Shanghainese, a Northern Wu language.

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