Every region in China has its own dialect. Don’t be surprised when a person from Shanghai cannot understand a word of someone from Jiangxi. As we all know, Mandarin is the official language in modern China, but that doesn’t mean everyone in China speaks Mandarin. Local dialects have been used by all generations for centuries, being the mother tongue of most Chinese people. In Southern China, Taiwan and Hong kong, dialects such as Hakka, Cantonese and Southern Min are commonly used. If you need to travel around China and meet with people from all over the country, it is best that you have a local interpreter when you visit a new place. It will be more than welcomed if you pick up a few phrases yourself.