section_path: Varieties/Grouping
section_name: Grouping
paragraph_text: Grouping
  
  Local varieties of Chinese are conventionally classified into seven dialect groups, largely based on the different evolution of Middle Chinese voiced initials:
  
  Proportions of first-language speakers
  
  The classification of Li Rong, which is used in the Language Atlas of China (1987), distinguishes three further groups:
  
  Some varieties remain unclassified, including the Danzhou dialect on Hainan, Waxianghua spoken in western Hunan, and Shaozhou Tuhua spoken in northern Guangdong.