Zhanjiang

Understand

Zhanjiang was a small fishing port when it was under French occupation in the early 20th century - named Fort Bayard - and some old colonial buildings still survive. Now it is a rapidly developing modern city. Many people in Zhanjiang speak Mandarin 普通话 Pǔtōnghuà with a fairly strong accent, the native languages for most locals are Cantonese 广东话 Guǎngdōnghuà and Leizhouhua 雷州话 Léizhōuhuà, a distinctly different dialect close to Hainanese.