Subei people (simplified Chinese: 苏北人; traditional Chinese: 蘇北人), also known as Jiangbei People (Chinese: 江北人; pinyin: Jiāngběirén) and in Shanghainese as Kompo (Wuu: 江北人, IPA: kɑ̃̋pōʔȵi᷆n), are a Jianghuai Mandarin speaking subgroup of Han Chinese from the Subei region (northern Jiangsu province).
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Due to natural disasters and insurrections in their native region, during the Qing dynasty and the Republican period they migrated in large numbers to the Wu-speaking Jiangnan region (south of the Yangtze), especially Shanghai. They were subjected to discrimination in Shanghai and Jiangnan for being unpatriotic, dishonest, untrustworthy, uncultured and collaborators with the Japanese occupiers during World War II.
The Subei culture was seen a symbol of sophistication during the mid-Qing dynasty period, but eventually lost its status.
Diaspora (outside of Jiangbei)
During the Song Dynasty, Subei immigrants from Northern Jiangsu immigrated to some other parts of China, these Subei immigrants almost totally replaced an took over from the original Wu Chinese speaking inhabitants on the Yangtze's northern bank.
In the Ming Dynasty and Qing dynasties, Jianghuai speakers moved and settled into Hui dialect areas.