There are also many dialect transition areas in Nantong counties, with unique dialects, and many people can speak more than two dialects.
In addition, the dialects in Nantong city are difficult to understand, especially those who speak Wu dialect, especially those who speak Jianghuai dialect. This dialect sounds like listening to Japanese, which is true.
It is definitely wrong to say that Nantong dialect is Jianghuai dialect, because Rugao people can't understand it, and Yang Tairen can't understand it either.
As far as I know, there is little difference between cities in the real Jianghuai dialect area, and they can basically understand Taizhou dialect, Zhenjiang dialect, Yangzhou dialect and Rugao dialect.
The same is true of Wu dialect area. A Changzhou person can also listen to Qihai dialect.
According to the Study of Nantong Dialect edited by Professor Bao and Professor ieee fellow (Jiangsu Education Press, 2002), Nantong Dialect can be divided into the following categories:
Shanghai dialect, for example, belongs to Jianghuai dialect, including all areas of Rugao and Hai 'an, such as most areas in Rudong except Digong and Arsenal. People who speak Ruhai dialect account for about three-seventh of the city's total population.
Haiqi dialect belongs to Wu dialect, including central and southern Haimen; Qidong city, except Qintan and Lvsi West Line, is in most areas; Southern Tongzhou; Sanyu, Haiyan, Huanben belt in the east of Tongzhou and the coastal belt in the southeast of Rudong. The people who speak Haiqi dialect account for about two-seventh of the city's total population.
Nantong dialect is an extension of Jianghuai dialect, which is mainly distributed in today's Nantong city, including the areas south of Shigang, Qiao Liu and Pingchao lines in Tongzhou, the areas west of Shigang, Xingren and Guanhe lines, and a few areas south of Rudong Xindian. The geographical area of Nantong dialect accounts for about one tenth of the city, and the people who can speak Nantong dialect are less than one seventh of the city's total population.
Sijia Dialect (Tongdong Dialect) is an extension of Wu Dialect, which to a great extent shows various characteristics of the staggered transition between Wu Dialect and Jianghuai Dialect, and is a special dialect film. From Qintan in Qidong via Lvsi to Haimen, and then to Di Mei, Yuxi, Dongshe and Jinsha in Tongzhou, it is distributed in Dongxing, Changbao, Yudong, Sijia and Guoqiang.