Pudong airport to use Shanghai dialect

Departure announcements for two China Eastern flights will be issued in the Shanghai dialect at Pudong airport from the end of the month, sources said.

Apart from the traditional Chinese and English announcements, passengers flying on MU701 from Shanghai to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and on MU2512 from Shanghai to Wuhan, Hubei province, will hear the local dialect broadcast to remind them of boarding times.

This is to make Shanghai residents feel more at home, the Shanghai Airport authority said.

Many local passengers said they liked to hear the Shanghai dialect, and would like to hear more similar broadcasts for other flights flying from Pudong.

Shanghai buses already issue announcements in the dialect.

"We have noticed a demand for more Shanghai dialect to be broadcast on buses, but we need time to introduce more broadcasts," said Sun Jianping, director of the Shanghai Municipal Transport and Port Authority.