Cantonese people

Pre-19th century: History of Liangguang

Until the 19th century, Cantonese history was largely the history of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. What is now Guangdong, and later Guangxi, was first brought under Qin influence by a Qin dynasty general named Zhao Tuo who later founded the kingdom of Nanyue in 204 BC. The Nanyue kingdom went on to become the strongest Baiyue state in China, with many neighboring kingdoms declaring their allegiance to Nanyue rule. Zhao Tuo took the Han territory of Hunan and defeated the Han dynasty's first attack on Nanyue, later annexing the kingdom of Minyue in the East and conquering Âu Lạc, Northern Vietnam, in the West in 179 BC.

The greatly expanded Nanyue kingdom included the territories of modern-day Guangdong, Guangxi and Northern Vietnam, with the capital situated at modern-day Guangzhou. The native peoples of Liangguang remained under Baiyue control until the Han dynasty in 111 BC, following the Han–Nanyue War. However, it was not until subsequent dynasties such as the Jin Dynasty, Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty that major waves of Han Chinese began to migrate into Guangdong and Guangxi. Waves of migration and subsequent intermarriage meant that existing populations of both provinces were displaced, but some native groups like the Zhuangs still remained. The Cantonese often call themselves "people of Tang". This is because of the inter-mixture between native and Han immigrants in Guangdong and Guangxi reached a critical mass of acculturation during the Tang dynasty, creating a new local identity among the Liangguang peoples.

During the 4th-12th centuries, Han Chinese people from North China's Yellow River valley migrated and settled in the South of China. This gave rise to peoples including the Cantonese, Hakka, Wu peoples and the Hoklo, whose ancestors migrated from Henan Province to areas of southeastern coastal China such as Chaozhou, Quanzhou and Zhangzhou during the Tang dynasty. There have been multiple migrations of Han people into Southeastern and Southern China throughout history.

The origin of the Cantonese people is thus said to be Northern Chinese peoples that migrated to Guangdong and Guangxi while it was still inhabited by Baiyue peoples. During Wang Mang's reign in the Han dynasty (206BC-220AD), there were influxes of Han Chinese migrants into Guangdong and Guangxi, western coast of Hainan, Annam (now Northern Vietnam) and eastern Yunnan.

19th-20th century: Turmoil and migration

During the early 1800s, conflict occurred between Cantonese and Portuguese pirates in the form of the Ningpo massacre. The First (1839–1842) and Second Opium Wars (1856–1860) led to the loss of China's control over Hong Kong and Kowloon, which were ceded to the British Empire. Macau also became a Portuguese settlement. Between 1855 and 1867, the Punti-Hakka Clan Wars caused further discord in Guangdong. The third plague pandemic of 1855 broke out in Yunnan and spread to Guangxi then Guangdong, killing thousands and spreading via water traffic to nearby Hong Kong.

The turmoil of the 19th century, followed by the political upheaval of the early 20th century, compelled many residents of Guangdong to migrate overseas. Up until the second half of the 20th century, the majority of overseas Chinese emigrated from two provinces of China; Guangdong and Fujian. As a result, there are today many Cantonese communities throughout the world, including in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, East Africa the United Kingdom, and the Pacific Islands, with Chinatowns commonly being established by Cantonese communities. There have been a large number of interracial marriages between Cantonese men and women from other nations, as most of the migrants from Guangdong were men. Resultantly, there are many Eurasians with Cantonese ancestry, for example Nancy Kwan, born to a Cantonese father and Scottish mother is a well-known Hollywood actress in the 1960s; and influential martial artist Bruce Lee, who was born to a Cantonese father and a half-Chinese, half-Caucasian mother.

Unlike the migrants from Fujian, who mostly settled in Southeast Asia, many Cantonese emigrants migrated to the Western Hemisphere, particularly the United States and Canada. Many Cantonese immigrants into the United States became railroad labourers, while many in South America were brought in as coolies. Cantonese immigrants in California participated in the California Gold Rush and the Australian gold rushes of 1854 onwards, while Chinese in Hawaii found employment in sugar plantations as contract labourers. These early immigrants variously faced hostility and a variety of discriminatory laws, including the prohibition of Chinese female immigrants. The relaxation of immigration laws after World War II allowed for subsequent waves of migration to the United States from both mainland China and Hong Kong. As a result, Cantonese continues to be widely used by Chinese communities of Guangdong and Hong Kong origin in the Western hemisphere, and has not been supplanted by Standard Chinese. A large proportion of the early migrants also came from the Siyi region of Guangdong and spoke Taishanese. The Taishan variant is still spoken in American-Chinese communities, by the older population as well as by more recent immigrants from Taishan.

Cultural hub

Cantonese people and their culture are centred in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong and Macau.

Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton), the capital city of Guangdong, has been one of China's international trading ports since the Tang dynasty. During the 18th century, it became an important centre of the emerging trade between China and the Western world, as part of the Canton System. The privilege during this period made Guangzhou one of the top three cities in the world. Operating from the Thirteen Factories located on the banks of the Pearl River outside Canton, merchants traded goods such as silk, porcelain ("fine china"), and tea, allowing Guangzhou to become a prosperous city. Links to overseas contacts and beneficial tax reforms in the 1990s have also contributed to the city's ongoing growth. Guangzhou was named a global city in 2008. The migrant population from other provinces of China in Guangzhou was 40 percent of the city's total population in 2008. Most of them are rural migrants and they speak only Mandarin.

Hong Kong and Macau are two of the richest cities in the world in terms of GDP per capita and are autonomous SARs (Special Administrative Regions) that are under independent governance from China. Historically governed by the British and Portuguese empires respectively, colonial Hong Kong and Macau were increasingly populated by migrant influxes from mainland China, particularly the nearby Guangdong Province. For that reason, the culture of Hong Kong and Macau became a mixture of Cantonese and Western influences, sometimes described as "East meets West".

Hong Kong native peoples include the Hakka and Tanka, who speak their own dialects. Another dialect traditionally spoken is Weitou.

Hong Kong Island was first colonised by the British Empire in 1842 with a population of only 7,450; however, it was in 1898 that Hong Kong truly became a British colony, when the British also colonised the New Territories (which constitute 86.2% of Hong Kong's modern territory). It was during this period that migrants from China entered, mainly speaking Cantonese (the prestige dialect of Yue Chinese) as a common language. During the following century of British rule, Hong Kong grew into a hub of Cantonese culture, and has remained as such since the handover in 1997.

Today Hong Kong is one of the world's leading financial centres, and the Hong Kong dollar is the thirteenth most traded currency in the world.

Macau native people are known as the Tanka. A dialect similar to Shiqi (石岐話), originating from Zhongshan (中山) in Guangdong, is also spoken in the region.

Parts of Macau were first loaned to the Portuguese by China as a trading centre in the 16th century, with the Portuguese required to administrate the city under Chinese authority. In 1851 and 1864, the Portuguese Empire occupied the two nearest offshore islands Taipa and Coloane respectively, and Macau officially became a colony of the Portuguese Empire in 1887. Macau was returned to China in 1999.

By 2002, Macau had become one of the world's richest cities, and by 2006, it had surpassed Las Vegas to become the world's biggest gambling centre. Macau is also a world cultural heritage site due to its Portuguese colonial architecture.

Culture

The term "Cantonese" is used to refer to the native Guangdong and Guangxi peoples, their language and their culture.

Language

The term "Cantonese language" is sometimes used to refer to the broader group of Yue Chinese languages and dialects spoken in Guangdong and Guangxi, although it is used more specifically to describe Gwóngjāu wah (廣州話), the prestige dialect of Cantonese spoken in the City of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton). Gwóngjāu wah is the main language used for education, literature and media in Hong Kong and Macau. It is still widely used in Guangzhou, despite the fact that a considerable proportion of the city's population is made up by migrant workers from elsewhere in China that speak other Chinese languages and Mandarin.

Because of its tradition of usage in music, cinema, literature and newspapers, this form of Cantonese is a cultural mark of identity that distinguishes Cantonese people from the Mainland Chinese. The pronunciation and vocabulary of Cantonese has preserved many features of the official language of the Tang dynasty with elements of the ancient Yue language. Written Cantonese is very common in manhua, books, articles, magazines, newspapers, online chat, instant messaging, internet blogs and social networking websites. Anime, cartoons and foreign films are also dubbed in Cantonese. Some videogames such as Sleeping Dogs, Far Cry 4, Grand Theft Auto III and Resident Evil 6 have substantial Cantonese dialogues.

Arts

Cantonese opera also has a long tradition that may date back to the Song dynasty in the 13th century. Due to its political and economic status outside of the direct control of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong has been a production centre of Cantonese-language entertainment in the 20th century.

Cantopop during its early glory had spread to Mainland China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia. Well-known Cantopop singers include Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok, Joey Yung, Alan Tam, Roman Tam, Danny Chan, Jacky Cheung, Leon Lai, Faye Wong, Sammi Cheng and Coco Lee, many of whom are of Cantonese or Taishanese origin.

The Hong Kong movie industry was the third-largest movie industry in the world (after Hollywood and Bollywood) for decades throughout the 20th century, with Cantonese-language films viewed and acclaimed around the world. Recent films include Kung Fu Hustle, Infernal Affairs and Ip Man 3.

Cuisine

Cantonese cuisine has become one of the most renowned types of cuisine around the world, characterised by its variety of cooking methods and use of fresh ingredients, particularly seafood. One of the most famous examples of Cantonese cuisine is dim sum, a variety of small and light dishes such as har gow (steamed shrimp dumplings), siu mai (steamed pork dumplings), and cha siu bao (barbecued pork buns).

Notable figures

The following is an incomplete list of some notable figures and celebrities that are regarded as being of Cantonese origin:

Some examples of the many historical and well known figures who originate mainly from Shunde, Guangzhou, Panyu and Dongguan:

Historical

Liu Yan, king of Nanhai and first emperor of the Yue/Han kingdom between 917–971

Yuan Chonghuan, Ming dynasty general and patriot famed for defeating Qing dynasty rulers and founder Nurchaci and Hong Taiji

Liang Daoming, king of Palembang during the Ming dynasty

Ching Shih, worlds successful pirate and one of the world's most powerful pirates; she challenged the British empire, Portuguese empire, and Qing dynasty and was undefeated.

Cheng I, pirate and husband of Ching Shih

Ah Pak, pirate chieftain who defeated Portuguese pirates

Liu Chang, the last emperor of the Southern Han Kingdom

Mạc Cửu, ruler of Hà Tiên in the 18th century; played a role in the relations between Cambodia and Vietnam

Deng Shichang, admiral and one of the first modern naval officers in China in the late Qing dynasty

Tse Tsan-tai, early Chinese revolutionary of the late Qing Dynasty

Sun Yat-sen, Partially Cantonese, Chinese revolutionary and founder of the Republic of China

Liang Qichao, scholar and reformist in the late Qing dynasty and early Republic of China

Jiang Guangnai, general and statesman in the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China who successfully defended Shanghai City from the Japanese invasion in the January 28 Incident of 1932

Entertainers

Anna May Wong, the first Chinese-American and Asian female international movie star

Hu Die, famous Chinese actress during the 1920s-30s

James Wong Howe, leading Hollywood cinematographer in the 1930s-40s and ten-time Academy Award nominee

Lai Man-Wai, the father of Hong Kong cinema

Stephen Chow, His grandfather is from Ningbo but his mother is Cantonese. He is actor and film director known for the comedy blockbusters Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle

John Woo, influential film director

Tony Leung Chiu-wai, award-winning actor known for his collaborations with Wong Kar-wai, including In The Mood For Love

Andy Lau, one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful singers and actors since the mid-1980s

Gigi Lai, actress and Cantopop singer

Aaron Kwok, dancer and singer since the early 1990s

Amy Kwok, actress and Miss Hong Kong 1991

Eason Chan, well-known Cantopop singer

Rainie Yang, Taiwanese singer

Vivian Chow, Cantopop singer and actress

Fish Leong, Malaysian-Chinese singer

Kris Wu, Chinese-Canadian actor and singer.

Jackson Wang member of the group GOT7

Louis Koo, Hong Kong actor

Tony Leung Ka Fai, Hong Kong actor

Cheung Ka Fai, Hong Kong actor

Politicians

Tang Shaoyi, he is the prime minister of the Republic of China and also the first Marxism disseminator in South China.

Donald Tsang, chief executive of Hong Kong

Edmund Ho Hau Wah, chief executive of Macau

Fernando Chui, chief executive of Macau

Wu Tingfang, China's foreign minister during the Qing dynasty

Wen Tsung-yao, politician and diplomat in the Qing dynasty and Republic of China

Hiram Fong, the first Asian-American and Chinese to be elected as Republican United States Senator and nominated for presidency of the United States

John So, the first Lord Mayor of Melbourne to be directly elected by the people in 2006, and the first mayor of Asian descent

Norman Kwong, the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Canada

Gary Locke, the first governor of a state in the Continental United States of Asian descent; the only Chinese American ever to serve as a governor

Judy Chu, the first Chinese-American woman to be elected to the United States Congress

Julius Chan, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 1980 to 1982, and from 1994 to 1997

Lee Siew Choh, politician and medical doctor. Singapore's first Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP)

Peter Chin, lawyer and 56th Dunedin, New Zealand mayor

John Yap, Canadian politician

Meng Foon, mayor of Gisborne, New Zealand

Alan Lowe, architect, former mayor of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Ida Chong, accountant, former municipal councilor of Saanich, British Columbia, former cabinet minister/Member of Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada

Sportspeople

Wong Peng Soon, A renowned male badminton player in the latter half of the 20th century

Patrick Chan, A world champion Chinese-Canadian male figure skater

Michelle Kwan, Chinese-American female figure skater and five-time world champion

Yi Jianlian, a 7-foot-tall Chinese basketball player for NBA, Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, and Washington Wizards

Guan Weizhen, female badminton player who won three consecutive women's doubles titles at the BWF World Championships

Chen Xiaomin Chinese retired weightlifter, in 2000 Sydney Olympics on the women's weightlifting gold medal, also a world and Asian champion

Shanshan Feng, The first golfer from China to win LPGA major championship and major championship, she was ranked fifth in 2012 Women's World Golf Rankings.

He Chong, Chinese, diver. He is the 2008 Olympic Champion gold medalist in the 3m springboard. He was unbeaten from 2006 - 2016

Jiang Jialiang, Table Tennis player, he won medals in Asia and world table tennis tournaments.

Xie Xingfang, Badminton player, she is a two-time world champion women's singles.

Chen Xiexia, She won three golds at the 2007 World Weightlifting Championships. The first gold medal for China in the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Zhang Jiewen, Gold medal in Badminton 2004 Athens

Lao Lishi, Gold medal in women's 10 meter synchronized platform along with Li Ting.

Su Bingtian, As a sprinter, he is the reigning Asian champion over 100 metres, was a semi-finalist at the 2012 Summer Olympics and a finalist at the 2015 World Championships.

Liang Wen-Chong, Highest ranked golfer from the People's Republic of China, the only Chinese golfer to have reached the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking.

Businesspeople

Raymond, Thomas, and Walter Kwok, brothers whose property business makes them the fourth richest in Hong Kong

Lui Che-woo, real estate and hospitality magnate at one time the second richest man in Asia

Mei Quong Tart, nineteenth-century merchant and personality in Sydney

Charles Sew Hoy, merchant and gold-dredging pioneer in New Zealand

Loke Yew, businessman and philanthropist in British Malaya

Chin Gee Hee, merchant and railway entrepreneur

Lee Shau-kee, real estate tycoon and owner of Henderson Land Development, the 4th world richest person in world before the handover of HK in 1997

Steven Lo, businessman and football team manager

Jimmy Lai, founder of Giordano

Ho Ching, First Lady of Singapore and 59th most powerful woman in the world in 2014 . "100 most influential men and women" who shaped the world by TIME magazine. The same magazine ranked her third in the list of most powerful women in business (outside the United States). Similarly in 2007, business magazine Forbes ranked her third in its annual list of the world's most powerful women. In 2011, Ho was included in the ‘50 Most Influential’ ranking by Bloomberg Markets magazine.

Martial artists

Wong Fei-hung, martial artist in the Qing dynasty, the subject of numerous films and television series

Yip Man, martial artist and teacher of Bruce Lee; inspired the Ip Man film series, among other biographical adaptations

Chan Heung, founder of Choy Li Fut

Donnie Yen, martial artist and actor, a World Wushu champion medalist and was the highest paid actor in Asia

Bruce Lee, one of the most influential martial artists of all time. Is one of the "100 most influential people" in history and in the 20th century. He is considered to be the world most influential martial artist icon, the UFC president, Dana White considers Bruce Lee to be the " father of modern mix martial arts." He was born to a Cantonese father and mother of Eurasian origin.

Academics

Flossie Wong-Staal, a virologist and molecular biologist; the first scientist to clone HIV and determine the function of its genes in 1985 In 2007.The Daily Telegraph heralded Dr. Wong-Staal as #32 of the "Top 100 Living Geniuses."

Chu Ching-wu, physicist and one of the first scientists to demonstrate high-temperature superconductivity, in 1987

Choh Hao Li, Chinese-American biochemist and first scientist to synthesise human growth hormone in 1970

Wu Ta-You, the "father of Chinese physics"

Wu Lien-teh, physician and Nobel prize nominee

Vivian Wing-Wah Yam, chemist known for her work on light-emitting materials and solar energy

Albert Chan, professor of chemistry and traditional Chinese medicine

Liang Sili, rocket and missile control system scientist

Nancy Ip - member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the World Academy of Sciences., Vivian Wing-Wah Yam - she was a 2011 L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science laureate "for her work on light-emitting materials and innovative ways of capturing solar energy.

Huan Yong - China's modern plant taxonomy founder, Chen Haozhu - Career in medicine for many years, has won the national, military science and technology progress award more than 20 other awards

Albert Chan (professor) - a Hong Kong professor of chemistry and traditional Chinese medicine.

Liang Sili - Chinese Engineer. Chief Designer of inertial guidance platforms for Chinese ballistic missiles.

Mr Wong - Chinese Academy of Engineering academician, general surgery specialist.

Li Shaozhen - improve cataract surgery quality in the introduction of technology and innovation

Mathematician

Liu Junxian - Mathematician, director of China Mathematical Society.

Yum-Tong Siu - Yum-Tong Siu is the William Elwood Byerly Professor of Mathematics at Harvard University. Siu is a prominent figure in the mathematics of several complex variables, is the William Elwood Byerly Professor of Mathematics at Harvard University. Siu is a prominent figure in the mathematics of several complex variables

Other notable figures

Feng Joe Guey, Chinese aviation pioneer

Liang Sicheng, the "father of modern Chinese architecture"

Dai Ailian, the "mother of Chinese modern dance"

Lee Ya-Ching, pioneering aviator and actress

Worldwide Cantonese conference

Influential Cantonese who are leaders of major overseas organisations and leading figures of many walks of life from 40 countries and territories will convene.

2,000 attendees will explore the feelings of provincialism, Reform & Opening Up and of innovation of Cantonese. Awards will be presented to the Top Ten Outstanding Cantonese Figures and Top Ten Outstanding Cantonese

Through thousands of years of hard work, Cantonese-origin people have made great achievements all over the world, and the Lingnan culture has been widely spread to become a major branch of traditional Chinese heritage.

Top 10 outstanding Cantonese awards 2013

Wang Jinhui / 王锦辉 (Guangdong, Dongguan), Hong Kong Jincheng create group chairman, founder. Founded more than 100 hope in 50 provinces of China and donated hundred millions.

Deng Xiaoying / 邓小颖 (Foshan, Guangdong) won the Vice Mayor of Ka Wah, Australia four times.

Ancient Run / 古润金 (Jin Zhongshan, Guangdong) is the perfect (China) Co., Ltd. Chairman. His business empire spread from China to Southeast Asia, top 30 Chinese businessman.

Shi Hanji/ 石汉基 (Guangdong, Nanhai) is the chairman of Hong Kong Han Rong Book Company Limited and donated million of books to China and overseas Chinese.

Hung Sin-nui/ 红线女 (Guangdong, Kaiping) female art center director and master of Chinese and Cantonese opera

Su Zhigang / 苏志刚 (Guangdong, Panyu) is currently chairman of Guangdong Chime-Long Group Co., Ltd., vice chairman of the National Federation of Industry.

Li Xuehai / 李学海 (Guangdong, Nanhai) is the chairman and chief executive officer of Witt Group.

欧初 (Guangdong Zhongshan, Guangdong), Guangzhou City party secretary. One of top 10 Chinese businessman

Xiao Dexiong / 萧德雄 (Guangdong, Jiangmen) is the Chairman of Macao Senji Development Co., Ltd. and a member of the CPPCC.

Zhai Meiging/翟美卿 (Guangdong, Guangzhou) is currently the President of the Hong Kong Group, the CPPCC National Committee members.

The first World Cantonese "Ten Outstanding Young Persons" list

Leo Ku / 古巨基(Guangdong, Gaozhou) Hong Kong famous artists, the establishment of "Leo Ku children medical fund."

Feng Shanshan / 冯珊珊 (Guangdong, Qingyuan), Famous woman golf player and ranked no.1 in China and no.6 in the world.

Li Huiqiong / 李慧琼 (Guangdong, Nanhai) is currently a member of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and a member of the Legislative Council.

Wu Jiezhuang / 吴杰庄 (Guangdong, Zhongshan) is currently Chairman of the Hong Kong high-feng Group.

Cen Zhaoxiong/ 岑钊雄 (Guangdong, Nanhai) is the vice-chairman of the Guangzhou City Times Property Public Welfare Foundation.

Yu Weida / 余威达 is currently the Managing Director of Sydney, Australia.

Yi Jianlian / 易建联 (Guangdong, Heshan) famous international basketball player.

Zhao Guangjun/ 赵广军 (Guangdong, Guangzhou), the current Haizhu District, Guangzhou Jiangnan streets in the Office of Community Center Deputy Director, the second national moral model.

Yuan Yu Yu/ 袁玉宇 (Guangdong, Guangzhou), the current Maipu renewable medical technology Co., Ltd., chairman.

Huo Qigang/霍启刚 (Guangdong, Panyu) is the Vice President of the Fok Ying Tung Group and the Chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups.

Cantonese influence on the Xinhai Revolution

The Xinhai Revolution of 1911 was a revolution that overthrew the last imperial dynasty of China, the Qing dynasty, and established the Republic of China. Guangdong's uprising against the Qing dynasty in 1895 let to its naming as the "cradle of the Xinhai Revolution". Revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen was born in Zhongshan, Guangdong. Hong Kong was where he developed his thoughts of revolution and was the base of subsequent uprisings, as well as the first revolutionary newspaper. Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary army was largely made up of Cantonese, and many of the early revolutionary leaders were also Cantonese.