How to say ‘tomato sauce’ in Cantonese? A Miss Hong Kong hopeful sparks culture debate

Fluency in Cantonese has captured public attention after a mainland Chinese contestant in a celebrated Hong Kong beauty queen contest spoke about her difficulties learning the language, prompting a talent group to call for inclusion as the city seeks to preserve its culture.

A political observer also said it was unnecessary to focus solely on contestants’ fluency in Cantonese, suggesting instead that the organiser could include more local elements in the contest to strengthen representation at the pageant, such as providing training on Hong Kong culture.

The Miss Hong Kong Pageant is a major televised event held by Television Broadcasts (TVB), the city’s biggest free-to-air broadcaster. Auditions for this year’s show are ongoing.

A contestant surnamed Wen told panellists during her second-round audition on Wednesday that she was working hard to learn Cantonese, while repeatedly trying to pronounce “tomato sauce” and “beef brisket noodles” correctly.

Internet users widely circulated clips of contestants and engaged in a heated debate over Wen’s pronunciation. Some said she spoke Cantonese awkwardly, with one user imitating her audition video on social media and asking why she applied for the contest without knowing the city’s language.

A contestant who returned from the United Kingdom for the audition also appeared less fluent in Cantonese, as she asked panellists to raise questions in English.