What constitutes the boundary between the official Chinese language Mandarin, and the Wu language (or Wu Chinese) which, as the language of the eastern seaboard of China (Wu in Sinitic Chinese of Sino-Tibetan), is usually considered a dialect in the context of China's integrated culture? As a language that has retained some of the tonal and other characteristics of ancient Chinese, Wu is capable of expressing a richer range of emotions, therefore, communication between native speakers of Wu will allow for a more nuanced content to be conveyed. The boundary between the use of Mandarin and Wu has the underlying potential for cultural conflicts and hybridisation in relation to identity, differences in modes of understanding the world, and national identity, which I explore in this project. At the same time, I hope this project will help enhance the recognition and preservation of the Wu language, as the number of speakers of Chinese languages other than compulsory Mandarin is decreasing, and Wu is gradually dying out.

wugnu.com records the tones of the Wu language and its sub-dialects and combines various historical and media materials such as China's major languages and official language changes. I wanted to explore the strong connection between the language of Wu and a particular worldview, which focuses on the interaction of humans and other-than-human entities. The project also shows the use of high frequency metaphors in Wu, as well as other techniques in the use of language.

This is a multi-dimensional media work that encapsulates a series of moving images with an aural narrative, central to our exploration. To further enrich this effort, my perspective as a native Wu speaker has guided a nuanced research approach that utilised a wide variety of graphic materials as well as sound visualizations that resonate with my personal Wu experience. The subject of my research is explored through film with audio as the primary content to express the complexity and subtleties of Wu language, thereby enriching our understanding of this linguistic tapestry in a broader cultural and global context.