Chaoshan or
Teoswa is the linguistic and cultural region in the east of
Guangdong,
China that is developing into a single metropolis. This region is the origin of the
Min Nan Teochew dialect . The region, also known as
Chiusaan in Cantonese, consists of the cities
Jieyang,
Chaozhou and
Shantou. It differs linguistically from the rest of Guangdong province which consists of
Leizhou Min,
Yue, and
Hakka speakers. It is historically important as the homeland of many Thais, Singaporeans, and Malaysians of Chinese descent.
