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The Weitou dialect or Wai Tau dialect (simplified Chinese: 围头话; traditional Chinese: 圍頭話; Jyutping: wai4 tau4 waa2; lit. 'walled (village) language') is a dialect of Yue Chinese. It forms part of the Guan–Bao (莞宝片; 莞寶片, Dongguan–Bao'an) branch of Yuehai. It is spoken by older generations in Luohu and Futian districts in Shenzhen, and by those in the New Territories, Hong Kong.

The Weitou dialect can be heard in Hong Kong TV dramas and movies, and is usually used to depict characters who come from walled villages. For example, in the 1992 movie Now You See Love, Now You Don't, the chief character, played by Chow Yun-fat who himself grew up in Lamma Island, consistently speaks the Weitou dialect.

In a more general sense, Weitouhua can refer to any variety of Chinese spoken in the villages of Hong Kong, including Hakka and rural Yue dialects. In contrast, most Hong Kong residents speak standard Cantonese, while most Shenzhen residents speak Mandarin.

Phonology

Zhang & Zhuang (2003:21-4) records the phonological systems of three varieties of the Weitou dialect spoken in Hong Kong. Following is Fan Tin's (蕃田), San Tin (in IPA).

There are four tone contours, when the "entering tones" (stopped syllables) are ignored:

References

1. Dupré, Jean-François (2019). "Urban Development and Land Controversies in Rural Hong Kong: An Indigenous Rights Perspective". In Cheung, Sidney C. H. (ed.). The Routledge Handbook of Gastronomic Tourism. Abingdon, Oxon New York, NY: Routledge. p. 49-67. ISBN 9781315147628.
2. Tsang, Sik Wah Patrick (2002). Hakka immigrants' identity and allegiance: Cultural dualism and missiological outreach. Fuller Theological Seminary, School of World Mission.

• (in Chinese) Chang, Song Hing; Zhuang, Chusheng (2003). 香港新界方言 [Dialects of the New Territories]. Commercial Press. ISBN 962-07-1682-5.

External links

• (in Chinese) 黄建全. "深圳方言分布". Archived from the original on 11 September 2009. Retrieved 11 September 2009.
• (in Chinese) "深圳方言分布". SZ News. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2006.

v t e Yue Chinese
Variants	Yuehai Guangzhou Hong Kong Malaysia Sai Kwan Jiujiang Shekki Weitou Dapeng Sze Yup Taishan Goulou Yulin Bobai Yunan Other   Gao–Yang   Wu–Hua   Yong–Xun   Qin–Lian Luo–Guang
Romanisation	Jyutping Yale Guangdong Romanization Hong Kong Government Macau Government Meyer–Wempe Sidney Lau S. L. Wong ILE Standard Romanization Barnett–Chao

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Western Himalayas (Himachal, Uttarakhand, Nepal, Sikkim)	West Himalayish Tamangic Newaric Newar Baram–Thangmi Kiranti Dhimalish Dhimal Toto Lhokpu Lepcha Greater Magaric Magaric Magar Kham Chepangic Chepang Bhujel Raji–Raute Dura–Tandrange
Eastern Himalayas (Tibet, Bhutan, Arunachal)	Bodish Tibetic East Bodish Tshangla Basum Nam? Gongduk ʼOle Tani Chamdo
Myanmar and Indo- Burmese border	Karbi Kuki-Chin Mruic Mru Hkongso Pyu Taman "Naga" Ao Angami–Pochuri Meitei Tangkhulic Zeme Sal Boro–Garo Konyak Jingpho–Luish
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Proposed groupings	Central Tibeto-Burman Kuki-Chin–Naga Macro-Bai Mahakiranti Rung Tibeto-Burman Tibeto-Kanauri
Proto-languages	Proto-Sino-Tibetan Proto-Tibeto-Burman Proto-Loloish Proto-Karenic Proto-Min Proto-Hakka
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