Cantonese people - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Cantonese people are Han

Han Chinese

Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...

people whose ancestral homes are in Guangdong, China. The term "Cantonese people" would then be synonymous with the Bun Dei

Punti

The Punti, a rough transliteration of the Cantonese term for "original locality," refers to the Cantonese-speaking populations of Guangdong province in southern China...

(Jyutping

Jyutping

Jyutping is a romanization system for Cantonese developed by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong in 1993. Its formal name is The Linguistic Society of Hong Kong Cantonese Romanization Scheme...

: bun2 dei6) sub-ethnic group, and is sometimes known as Gwong Fu Jan (廣府人) for this narrower definition. This article mainly focuses on this latter definition.

They are referred to as "Kongfu" in Malaysia and "Konghu" in Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

.
They are referred to as "Hoa" in Vietnam. They make up the vast majority of Hong Kong people, most of them coming from Guangzhou and Taishan; as a result of this Hong Kong is a heavily Cantonese language influence-speaking society adding to the fact that Hong Kong culture, music, entertainment media are all Cantonese.

Cantonese people have been successful in many areas such as politics, entertainment, and business in many parts of the world, including some of the world-famous people that are of Cantonese origin. One of the world's most famous people of Asian descent was Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...

, who was also of Cantonese origin and is considered among the 100 most influential people in history and in the 20th century.

Culture

Yue Chinese, broadly "Cantonese", is one of the major divisions of varieties of Chinese

Varieties of Chinese

Chinese comprises many regional language varieties sometimes grouped together as the Chinese dialects, the primary ones being Mandarin, Wu, Cantonese, and Min. These are not mutually intelligible, and even many of the regional varieties are themselves composed of a number of...

, with 70 million speakers. It consists of many closely related dialects native to areas of Guangdong

Guangdong

Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...

and Guangxi

Guangxi

Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...

.

More specifically, the Cantonese

Cantonese

Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...

refers to the prestige dialect

Prestige dialect

In sociolinguistics, prestige describes the level of respect accorded to a language or dialect as compared to that of other languages or dialects in a speech community. The concept of prestige in sociolinguistics is closely related to that of prestige or class within a society...

of the language native to Guangzhou. This is the language used as a lingua franca

Lingua franca

A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...

, education, media, and by Cantonese people in Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, Macau

Macau

Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...

, and overseas. Unlike most other varieties of Chinese, Cantonese has semi-official status in Hong Kong

Hong Kong

and Macau

Macau

Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...

, and has an independent tradition of a written vernacular

Written Cantonese

Cantonese has the most well-developed written form of all Chinese varieties apart from the standard varieties of Mandarin and Classical Chinese. Standard written Chinese is based on Mandarin, but when spoken word for word as Cantonese, it sounds unnatural because its expressions are ungrammatical...

. Aside from Mandarin, Standard Cantonese

Standard Cantonese

Cantonese, or Standard Cantonese, is a language that originated in the vicinity of Canton in southern China, and is often regarded as the prestige dialect of Yue Chinese....

is the only other Chinese dialect/language to be internationally known world wide and has it's own versions of songs, dramas, movies. Including animations and video games that are dubbed in Cantonese. Many books, articles, magazines, newspapers especially Manhua

Manhua

Manhua are Chinese comics originally produced in China. Possibly due to their greater degree of artistic freedom of expression and closer international ties with Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan have been the places of publication of most manhua thus far, often including Chinese translations of...

(chinese comic books) can also be found written in Cantonese. Hong Kong Cantonese is therefore an cultural marker and identity for Hong Kong people to distinguish themselves from mainland Chinese.

Cantonese language opera

Opera

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

exists in the form of Cantonese opera

Cantonese opera

Cantonese opera is one of the major categories in Chinese opera, originating in southern China's Cantonese culture. It is popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. Like all versions of Chinese opera, it is a traditional Chinese art form, involving music, singing,...

, which uses a theatrical form of Cantonese singing and rhyming patterns in its performances. The Cantonese opera tradition may date back as far as the Southern Song Dynasty in the 13th century.

Due to its political and economic status of being outside the direct control of the PRC, Hong Kong

Hong Kong

has been an active (and primary) producer of Cantonese language entertainment. Cantopop

Cantopop

Cantopop is a colloquialism for "Cantonese popular music". It is sometimes referred to as HK-pop, short for "Hong Kong popular music". It is categorized as a subgenre of Chinese popular music within C-pop...

, Cantonese language pop music

Pop music

Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

, enjoys multinational fan base in Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, China ( Guangdong, Guangxi) and to an small extend Japan. Canton-Pop is also popular among the Chinese community in the United States, Canada, Malaysia and Australia. The major center of the Cantonese music industry is in Hong Kong. Well-known Cantopop artistes include Andy Lau

Andy Lau

Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...

, Jacky Cheung

Jacky Cheung

Jacky Cheung is a Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actor. The Chinese language media refers to him, Aaron Kwok, Andy Lau and Leon Lai as the Cantopop Four Heavenly Kings , with more than 60 million records sold as of 2000....

, Leon Lai

Leon Lai

Leon Lai is a Hong Kong-based actor and Cantopop singer. The media refer to Aaron Kwok, Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau and Leon Lai as the Cantopop Four Heavenly Kings . He uses the stage name "Li Ming" or "Lai Ming" which literally means "dawn."-Biography:...

, Faye Wong

Faye Wong

Faye Wong is a highly successful and influential Chinese singer-songwriter and actress who is usually referred to as a diva . Early in her career she briefly used the stage name Shirley Wong . Born in Beijing, she moved to Hong Kong in 1987 and rose to stardom in the early 1990s by singing...

, Sammi Cheng

Sammi Cheng

Sammi Cheng Sau-Man is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress. Having enjoyed much success in the Hong Kong music industry, Sammi has been known as a diva and has been one of the most successful female singer in Hong Kong since the 1990s. Her albums have sold more than 25 million copies through...

, and Coco Lee

CoCo Lee

Coco Lee , born on 17 January 1975, also known by her official English name as Ferren Lee, is a pop singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. Coco started her career in Hong Kong but, after becoming popular in Taiwan, she was widely considered to be a Taiwan artist. She was born to a Chinese...

. Many of these well known stars are Cantonese, and from the families of other internal Chinese immigrants.

Hong Kong's Cantonese-language cinema

Cinema of Hong Kong

The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan...

is a thriving industry that enjoys international fame. One of the world's largest motion picture industries, recent films such as Kung Fu Hustle
Kung Fu Hustle
Kung Fu Hustle is a 2004 action comedy film directed and produced by, and starring Stephen Chow. The other film producers were Chui Po-chu and Jeffrey Lau, while the screenplay was written by Huo Xin, Chan Man-keung, and Tsang Kan-cheung...

and Infernal Affairs
Infernal Affairs
Infernal Affairs is a 2002 Hong Kong crime-thriller film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. It tells the story of a police officer who infiltrates the triads, and a police officer secretly working for the same gang. The Chinese title means "the non-stop path", a reference to Avici, the lowest...

have generated acclaim worldwide. For some decades Hong Kong Cantonese speaking movie was the third largest motion picture industry in the world (after Indian and Hollywood) and the second largest exporter of films, due to popular Hong Kong action films. Cantonese speaking movies can be found exported around the world particular in Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia, South Korea and Japan.

Cantonese cuisine

Cantonese cuisine

Cantonese cuisine comes from Guangdong Province in southern China and is one of 8 superdivisions of Chinese cuisine. Its prominence outside China is due to the great numbers of early emigrants from Guangdong. Cantonese chefs are highly sought after throughout the country...

is one of the most famous types of Chinese cuisine

Chinese cuisine

Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...

, popular both within and outside China and is characterized by its variety of cooking methods, freshness and use of seafood. Cantonese food is best known in western world, many consider cantonese food to be the best in china and best in the world. When people in the West speak of Chinese food, they usually mean Cantonese food. Dim sum

Dim sum

Dim sum refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates...

is equally famous for its variety of small servings.

Historic figures

Some examples of many historical figures of Cantonese origin that have come mostly from the areas of
Taishan, Shunde, Panyu and Dongguan.

Yuan Chonghuan
Yuan Chonghuan
Yuan Chonghuan was a famed patriot and military commander of the Ming Dynasty who battled the Manchus in Liaoning. A commander of Cantonese origin, Yuan Chonghuan was known to have excelled in artillery warfare and successfully incorporated Western tactics with those of the East...

was a Cantonese general famed for defeating the founder of Qing dynasty Nurchaci in the first battle as well as defeating Huang Taiji banner of 200,000 Manchu and Mongol soldiers in second battle. It was because of that Nurhaci never recovered from the battle and died from his wounds.

Ching Shih
Ching Shih
Ching Shih , also known as Zheng Yi Sao , was a prominent female pirate in middle Qing China.Ching Shih also known as Cheng I Sao terrorized the China Sea in the early 19th century. A brilliant cantonese female pirate, she commanded 1800 ships and more than 80,000 pirates — men, women, and even...

was history's world greatest and powerful female pirate, she commanded 1800 ships and had more than 80000 pirates — men, women, and even children. She challenged the world superpower empires at the time like British, Portuguese, Qing dynasty and was undefeated. She was ranked as number 1 most successful pirate in history

Liang Daoming was a king of Palembang, the capital city of Sumatran Indonesia. He had thousands of followers and a sizable military troop and established trading ports in peninsula.

Mac Cuu
Mac Cuu
Mạc Cửu was a Chinese adventurer who played a role in relations between Cambodia and the Nguyen court. He was born in Leizhou, Guangdong. Sometime between 1687 and 1695, the Cambodian king sponsored him to migrate to Banteay Meas, where he at first served as chief of a small Chinese community,...

was an king of Ha tien, in cambodia where he established an independent kingdom and played a role in relations between Cambodia and Vietnam. His kingdom lasted for an century and transformed into an busy and popular destination.

Liu Yan (emperor) an king of nanhai and first emperor of the Southern Yue/Southern Han kingdom that lasted from 917 - 971. Its territories included Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan Island and Hanoi (north Vietnam). He commanded 100,000 soldiers in Battle of Bach Dang River (938) to subdue all of vietnam under han rule, but his invasion was unsuccessful.

Wen Zongyao
Wen Zongyao
Wen Tsung-yao , styled Qinfu , was a politician and diplomat in the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. In the late Qing era, he belonged to the pro-reform group. In the era of the Republic, he participated in the Sun Yat-sen's Canton Militarist Government...

served as an deputy president in Tibet during the Qing dynasty and supported the Xinhui revolution.

Wu Tingfang
Wu Tingfang
Wu Tingfang was a Chinese diplomat and politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and briefly as Acting Premier during the early years of the Republic of China. He is also known under his Cantonese name Ng Choy -Biography:...

served as China's foreign minister during the Qing dynasty.

Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...

Hong Kong's top action star and currently the highest paid actor in the whole of Asia.

Norman Kwong
Norman Kwong
Norman Lim "Normie" Kwong, CM, AOE is a former professional athlete, sports executive, and was the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta...

was the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta in Canada.

Cheng I
Cheng I
Cheng I was one of the most powerful chinese pirate along the Chinese coast during the 19th century. He and his wife Ching Shih, an prostitute who he fell in love with captured Cheung Po Tsai and legend has it he was her lover. Cheung was later adopted by them...

an cantonese pirate who became strongest pirate in China; his lover and wife was Ching Shi.

Ah Pak
Ah Pak
Ah Pak also known as old man, was the chieftain of the cantonese pirates who defeated Portuguese pirates in Ningpo in Zhenjiang china. The authorities at Ningpo, in their weakness, determined to make terms with him rather than submit to the tyranny of the Portuguese. His pirates caused the...

was chieftain of Cantonese pirate that defeated the Portuguese pirates, including massacred of Portuguese pirates, civilians and foreigners in 1542 in Ningbo, Zhejiang.

Chen Zuyi
Chen Zuyi
Chen Zuyi was a 14th-century Cantonese pirate, and was one of the most respected and feared pirates to ever infest the seas of Southeast Asia. He ruled the city of Palembang, and raided the Strait of Malacca to plunder shipping and prey on both native and foreign merchants for several years...

was an 14th century respected and feared pirate to ever infested in the sea's of southeast asia. He ruled and occupied the capital city of Palembang including sending an scale of raids to the Strait of Malacca to plunder on foreign ships and preyed on both native and foreign merchants for several years

Patrick Chan
Patrick Chan
Patrick Chan is a Canadian figure skater.He is the 2011 World Champion, 2010–2011 Grand Prix Final champion, the 2009 Four Continents champion, the 2009 and 2010 World silver medalist, the 2007 World Junior silver medalist and a four-time Canadian Champion.At the 2010 Canadian Championships, he...

is an Chinese Canadian male figure skater, 2011 World Champion, 2010–2011 Grand Prix Final Champion, the 2009 Four Continents Champion, the 2009 and 2010 World silver medalist, the 2007 World Junior silver medalist and a four-time (2008–2011) Canadian Champion.

Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan
Michelle Wingshan Kwan is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S...

is an Chinese American female figure skater and a five-time (1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 & 2003) World champion.

Lee Shau Kee
Lee Shau Kee
Lee Shau-kee GBM is a property developer and majority owner of Henderson Land Development , a property conglomerate with interests in properties, hotels, restaurants and internet services...

is the fifth richest person in Asia with $18.5 billion dollar.ranking him 28th among the world's richest people.

Yi Jianlian
Yi Jianlian
Yi Jianlian is a Chinese professional basketball player for the Guangdong Southern Tigers. He has also played in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, and Washington Wizards. Yi played power forward for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association in 2002 and...

is a 7 ft tall chinese basketball player; he played for NBA, Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, and Washington Wizards.

Arthur Chin
Arthur Chin
Major Arthur Chin was an American pilot and a Second Sino-Japanese War fighter ace.-Biography:Chin was born in Portland, Oregon to a Chinese father of Cantonese origin and a Caucasian mother of Peruvian background. Motivated by the Japanese invasion of China, Chin enrolled in flight school in 1932...

was born to a father of Cantonese origin and a Caucasian mother of Peruvian background. Chin is recognized as America's first ace in World War II. Credited for destroying nine enemy aircraft between 1937-1939 during Sino-Japanese War.

Mei Quong Tart
Mei Quong Tart
Mei Quong Tart was a leading nineteenth century Sydney merchant from China. He was one of Sydney's most famous and well-loved personalities and made a significant impact on the social and political scene of Sydney at a time of strong anti-Chinese sentiment in Australia...

was one of Sydney's most famous and well-loved personalities and made a significant impact on the social and political scene of Sydney at a time of strong anti-Chinese sentiment in Australia.

Hiram Fong
Hiram Fong
Hiram Leong Fong , born Yau Leong Fong , was an American businessman and politician from Hawaii. He is most notable for his service as Republican United States Senator from 1959 to 1977, and for being the first Asian American and Chinese American to be elected as such...

was an politician and the first Asian American and to be elected as Republican United States Senator. He was also the first Asian American to be nominated for presidency of the U.S.A.

Gary Locke
Gary Locke
Gary Locke may refer to:*Gary Locke , Chinese American politician; U.S. Secretary of Commerce and former Governor of Washington*Gary Locke *Gary Locke...

is the first governor of a state in the Continental United States of Asian descent, and remains the only Chinese American in history to serve as a governor.

Julius Chan
Julius Chan
Sir Julius Chan GCL GCMG KBE was Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 1980 to 1982 and from 1994 to 1997. He is currently Member of Parliament for New Ireland Province, having won the seat in the 2007 national election...

was born to a Cantonese father from Taishan, he was the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 1980 to 1982 and from 1994 to 1997.

John Wu is a respected Hong Kong and Hollywood director. In 2002 he was mentioned to be "arguably the most influential director making movies today"http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/09/movies/for-the-auteur-of-action-a-thoughtful-turn.html

Liu Chang
Liu Chang
Liu Chang was the last King of the Kingdom of Southern Han during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in southern coastal China.-Life:...

the last emperor of southern Han Kingdom, he became emperor at age of 16 and was famous for his lust with Persian girls who were prominent in his harem. Liu Chang also had a Persian princess in his harem.

Steven Lo
Steven Lo
Steven Lo Kit-Sing is a Hong Kong and Macanese businessman active in the entertainment world.Born in Hong Kong, Steven Lo had his upbringing and education in Macau. After graduation from high school, he worked in the banking industry and then started up a European cars dealership business...

He is responsible for making Hong Kong football team and clubs in becoming successful and popular than ever before. In particular, he served as an advisor and team manager for the Hong Kong Football association at the 2009 where Hong Kong became champion of East asian football in 2009 and their soccer club South China have also became semi-finalist in AFC cup. He was born in Hong Kong but was raised in Macau.

Lee Siew Choh
Lee Siew Choh
Dr. Lee Siew Choh was a politician and medical doctor from Singapore. Initially a member of the People's Action Party , he became a leader of the breakaway Barisan Sosialis in 1961...

was a politician and medical doctor from Singapore. Initially a member of the People's Action Party (PAP), became Singapore's first Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP).

Tony Leung
Tony Leung
Tony Leung may refer to:* Tony Leung Chiu-Wai , Hong Kong actor known as "Little Tony"* Tony Leung Ka-fai , Hong Kong actor known as "Big Tony"* Tony Leung Siu-Hung, Hong Kong movie action choreographer, stuntman, actor and director...

Hong Kong award winning best actor in Cannes Film Festival in 2000 and 2008 in Asian Film Awards.

Andy Lau
Andy Lau
Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...

one of Hong Kong most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s.

Deng Shichang
Deng Shichang
Deng Shichang was a famous Chinese admiral during the late Qing Dynasty era. Native of Panyu, Guangdong; originally named as Yongchang ; courtesy name Zhengqing ....

an first generation of modern naval officers trained in China who fought against the Japanese, the People's Liberation Army Navy named a naval training ship as Shichang in remembrance of him.

Jimmy Lai is the founder of Giordano, one of Asia's largest retailers with claims more than 11,000 employees in 1,700 shops across 30 territories worldwide.

Chu Ching-wu
Chu Ching-wu
Paul Chu is an Chinese-American physicist specializing in superconductivity, magnetism, and dielectrics. He is a Professor of physics and T.L.L. Temple Chair of Science in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Houston...

he was an invited contributor to the White House National Millennium Time Capsule at the National Archives in 2000 and was selected the Best Researcher in the U.S. by US News and World Report in 1990.

Chin Gee Hee
Chin Gee Hee
Chin Gee Hee , courtesy name Chàngtíng , Cheun Gee Yee, was a Chinese merchant, labor contractor, and railway entrepreneur, who made his fortune in Seattle, Washington before returning to his native village in Taishan, Guangdong province, which sources variously refer to as...

a merchant in America who founded the Quong Tuck Railway Company that contributed rail way workers to help the completion of projects such as the Great Northern Railway and the Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad.

James Wong Howe
James Wong Howe
James Wong Howe, A.S.C. was a Chinese American cinematographer who worked on over 130 films...

is one of leading cinematographers in Hollywood in 1930's - 1940's. He was nominated for ten Academy Awards for cinematography, winning twice.

Peter Chin
Peter Chin
Peter Chin may refer to:* Peter Chin , mayor of Dunedin, New Zealand*Peter Chin Fah Kui, Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water, Malaysia; also the Member of Parliament for Miri, Sarawak...

is an old generation Cantonese New Zealander, an lawyer and was the 56th Mayor of Dunedin, New Zealand.

Choh Hao Li
Choh Hao Li
Choh Hao Li was a Chinese-born U.S. biochemist who discovered, in 1966, that human pituitary growth hormone consists of a chain of 256 amino acids...

was a Chinese-born U.S. biochemist was first person to discovered that human pituitary growth hormone (somatotropin) consists of a chain of 256 amino acids and first to succeeded in synthesizing this hormone.

John So
John So
John Chun Sai So JP is a Chinese-Australian businessman who served as the 102nd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, Australia. He was the first Lord Mayor in the city's history to be directly elected by the people; previously, Lord Mayors were elected by the Councillors.First elected...

is the 102nd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, Australia. He was the first Lord Mayor in the city's history to be directly elected by the people.

Meng Foon
Meng Foon
Meng Liu Foon is the current mayor of Gisborne, New Zealand. He is one of a handful of people of Chinese descent to have become a mayor in New Zealand. He is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Māori....

is the current mayor of Gisborne, New Zealand and is the first person to serve four consecutive terms since Harry Barker retired in 1977.

Anna May Wong
Anna May Wong
Anna May Wong was an American actress, the first Chinese American movie star, and the first Asian American to become an international star...

first Asian American to become an international star.

Loke Yew
Loke Yew
Loke Yew , CMG, LL.D. was a famous businessman and philanthropist during the British Malaya era. He was regarded as the richest man in Malaysia during his time and played a significant role in the growth of Kuala Lumpur and was also one of the founding fathers of Victoria Institution, Kuala...

was a famous businessman and philanthropist during the British Malaya era. He played a significant role in the growth of Kuala Lumpur and was one of the founding fathers of Victoria Institution, Kuala Lumpur.

Jack Yan
Jack Yan
Jack Yan is a publisher, designer and businessman, born 1972 in Kowloon, Hong Kong.Yan founded his own company in 1987 while a teenager and grew it, initially, into the region's leading font software firm, claiming to be the first New Zealander to design digital typefaces...

is a publisher, designer and businessman claiming to be the first New Zealander to design digital typefaces. He created over 100 typeface designs himself for the firm. He founded is own magazine company and is one of magazine's longest-serving columnists.

John Yap
John Yap
John Yap MLA is a Canadian politician and is currently the Parliamentary Secretary for Clean Technology to the Minister of Energy and Mines. Since 2005 he has represented the riding of Richmond-Steveston in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. He is a member of the BC Liberal Party...

is a Canadian politician and is currently the Parliamentary Secretary for Clean Technology to the Minister of Energy and Mines

Ma Sicong
Ma Sicong
Ma Sicong was a Chinese violinist and composer. He was referred to in China as "The King of violinists." His Nostalgia for violin, composed in 1937 as part of the Inner Mongolia Suite , was considered one of the most favorite pieces of 20th century China.During his youth, Ma went to Paris to...

was referred to in China as "The King of violinists" and has great influence in music of modern China.

Liang Qichao
Liang Qichao
Liang Qichao |Styled]] Zhuoru, ; Pseudonym: Rengong) was a Chinese scholar, journalist, philosopher and reformist during the Qing Dynasty , who inspired Chinese scholars with his writings and reform movements...

was described as the greatest personality in the history of Chinese journalism. Liang was considered "a brilliant scholar, journalist, and political figure".

Cantonese who contributed to modern history of China and Hong Kong

Ta-You Wu
Ta-You Wu
Wu Ta-You was a Chinese-born atomic and nuclear theoretical physicist who worked in the United States, Canada, mainland China, and Taiwan. He has been called the "Father of Chinese Physics."...

- Father of Chinese physics

Lai Man-Wai
Lai Man-Wai
Lai Man-Wai , now known as Father of Hong Kong Cinema, was the director of the first Hong Kong movie Zhuangzi Tests His Wife in 1913...

- Father of Hong Kong Cinema

Feng Ru - Father of Chinese Aviation

Liang Sicheng
Liang Sicheng
Liang Sicheng was the son of Liang Qichao, a well-known Chinese thinker in the late Qing Dynasty. Liang Sicheng returned to China from the United States after studying at the University of Pennsylvania...

- Father of Modern Chinese Architecture

Hu Die - Empress of Chinese Cinema

History

Until the 19th century, history was largely part of the history of Guangdong

Guangdong

Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...

. What is now Guangdong was first brought under Qin

Qin

-Chinese dynasties and states:*Qin , a state of China during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty*Qin Dynasty , which followed Qin's unification of China in 221 BC and ended in 206 BC*Da Qin , Roman Empire, 202 BC to AD 220...

influence by a Qin Dynasty

Qin Dynasty

The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...

general named Zhao Tuo

Zhao Tuo

Zhao Tuo , was the founder of the kingdom of Nanyue |Zhao]]. The state of Zhao was defeated and absorbed by the state of Qin in 222 BC, whereupon Zhao Tuo became a citizen of the state of Qin. He later served in a Qin expeditionary force that was sent south...

who later founded the kingdom of Nanyue

Nanyue

Nanyue was an ancient kingdom that consisted of parts of the modern Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan and northern Vietnam. Nanyue was established in 204 BC at the final collapse of the Qin Dynasty by Zhao Tuo, who was the military commander of Nanhai Commandery at the time, and...

in 204 BC.
Nanyue under Zhao Tuo assimilated cultures of both Han

Han Chinese

and Yue as well as encouraging intermarriage. Nanyue became the strongest Baiyue state in southern China with many neighbouring kingdoms declaring their allegiance to Nanyue rule, when Zhao Tuo sacked the Han territory of Hunan

Hunan

' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...

in its capital city and defeated Han Dynasty's first attack on Nanyue. He later annexed kingdoms of Minyue in the east and Ouluo to the west. The greatly expanded Nanyue included the territories of modern-day Guangdong, Guangxi and northern Vietnam with its capital situated at modern-day Guangzhou

Guangzhou

Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...

. The original people of Guangdong belonged to the Yue until this kingdom was fully brought under Han

Han Chinese

control under the Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...

in 111 BC, but it wasn't until subsequent dynasties such as the Jin Dynasty

Jìn Dynasty (265-420)

The Jìn Dynasty , was a dynasty in Chinese history, lasting between the years 265 and 420 AD. There are two main divisions in the history of the Dynasty, the first being Western Jin and the second Eastern Jin...

, Tang Dynasty

Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...

and Song Dynasty

Song Dynasty

The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...

that major waves of Han Chinese literati migration to the south occurred. Migrations came in waves, displacing and assimilating the existing populations at different time periods, but some native groups still reside. Some studies have shown that most Cantonese have an mixture of DNA ancestry from Han Chinese from the North and Yue from the South.

During the 19th century the Opium Wars

Opium Wars

The Opium Wars, also known as the Anglo-Chinese Wars, divided into the First Opium War from 1839 to 1842 and the Second Opium War from 1856 to 1860, were the climax of disputes over trade and diplomatic relations between China under the Qing Dynasty and the British Empire...

with the West resulted in China's loss of control over Hong Kong

Hong Kong

, which was ceded to the British Empire

British Empire

The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...

. Macau

Macau

Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...

, a Portuguese settlement

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

subjected to Chinese sovereignty since Ming Dynasty

Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...

(16th century), was subsequently turned into a colony although self-administration was not achieved until the 1840s. These colonies make up roughly less than 2% of Guangdong territories. The turmoil of the second half of the 19th century compelled many residents of Guangdong

Guangdong

Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...

to seek their fortunes overseas. Until the second half of the 20th century, the majority of overseas Chinese

Overseas Chinese

Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....

emigrated from two provinces of China, Fujian

Fujian

' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...

and Guangdong

Guangdong

Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...

. As a result of these migrations, many Chinese with a Cantonese background have settled throughout the world, particularly in North America, Latin American, Southeast Asia, East Africa, and Pacific Islands, where they have established communities and mostly intermarried with local women, due to all the migrations being almost entirely of men.

Unlike the migrants from Fujian

Fujian

, who mostly settled in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...

, many Cantonese emigrants also migrated to the western hemisphere, particularly the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

and Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. Chinese immigrants in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

were brought as cheap labourers to build the transcontinental railroads in the United States and Canada, while those in South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

were mostly forced laborers brought in as coolie

Coolie

Historically, a coolie was a manual labourer or slave from Asia, particularly China, India, and the Phillipines during the 19th century and early 20th century...

s. Chinese in California participated in the California Gold Rush

California Gold Rush

The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...

, while Chinese in Hawaii

Chinese immigration to Hawaii

The Chinese in Hawaii frequently referred to by their Hawaiian name Pākē, constitute about 4.7% of the state's population, most of whom have ancestors from Zhongshan in Guangdong. This number does not include people of mixed Chinese and Hawaiian descent...

found employment in sugar plantations as contract laborers. Chinese also played a significant role in Australia's gold rush, from 1854 onwards. These early immigrants founded communities of Chinatown

Chinatown

A Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...

s but also faced hostility and a variety of discriminatory laws that targeted them. This includes denying the immigration of women to prevent Chinese families from taking root, culminating in anti-immigration laws that restricted Chinese migration. A large proportion of these early immigrants came from the Sze Yup

Sze Yup

Sze Yup, Sze Yap, Seiyap refers to the four former counties of Xinhui, Taishan, Kaiping and Enping in the Pearl River Delta of southern Guangdong province, China. Xinhui is a city district and the other three are county-level cities, all four belong to Jiangmen prefecture administered from the...

(Seiyap) region of Guangdong. As a result, these early communities spoke mostly Taishanese, one of the dialects of Yue distinctive from Cantonese

Cantonese

Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...

. The Taishan (Toisan, Hoisan) dialect is still spoken in Chinese communities in the Americas, by older people as well as more recent immigrants from Taishan

Taishan

Taishan is a coastal county-level city in Guangdong Province, China. The city is part of the Greater Taishan Region....

. Taishanese and Cantonese are not mutually intelligible. The relaxing of immigration laws after World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

allowed for subsequent waves of migration to the United States from both mainland China

Mainland China

Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...

and Hong Kong

Hong Kong

, while the majority of the Chinese-Vietnamese boat people

Boat people

Boat people is a term that usually refers to refugees, illegal immigrants or asylum seekers who emigrate in numbers in boats that are sometimes old and crudely made...

from the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

spoke Cantonese either as a first or secondary language. As a result, Cantonese continues to be widely used by Chinese communities of Guangdong and Hong Kong origin in the western world and has not been supplanted by Mandarin

Standard Chinese

Standard Chinese, or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....

Culture

Historic figures

History

See also