[1] It is considered to be a Taihu Wu linguistic exclave within the mostly Min Nan-speaking part of Southern Zhejiang.
The Modern Jinxiang dialect is descended from the speech of soldiers from Northern Zhejiang who settled during the Ming dynasty due to Wokou pirate raids, during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor.
These soldiers were sent to Jinxiang to protect the town from raids by the Wokou.
The majority of Jinxiang natives today are descended from those soldiers who served under Qi Jiguang.
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