About Us
Phonemica 乡音苑 is a collection of stories in local vernaculars. The stories are contributed by our users, who record, upload and transcribe regional lore: nursery rhymes and childhood games, preparation of specialty foods, humorous anecdotes, local history, and much more.
Our goal is to bring to a wider audience, through language and stories, the unique customs, beliefs and history of each village and each neighborhood, archiving the audio for future generations. We believe that each language and dialect is a priceless cultural treasure embedding history, social customs -- the knowledge of a people.
If you have a friend or relative who is a good storyteller, please register (it's free!), record their stories, and upload. You can also help by transcribing and translating stories. Again, just register, go to a recording in a dialect you understand, and click on the transcript below to transcribe. Phonemica is a community project that depends on its users and we need your help to grow!
When Phonemica first launched in 2013 it was limited to Sinitic languages. However, we are now open to local vernaculars of any language group. On the site you can hear non-Sinitic languages such as Zhuang and Atayal, as well as an immense variety of Sinitic languages.
You can reach the project founders and long-term volunteers by Email: [email protected], QQ: [email protected], WeChat: xiangyinyuan, Weibo: xiangyinyuan