"Though Shiji is not marked on the map (Figure 1), it is located just opposite Guzan across the abysmal but narrow Dadu River. In Qianxi, a doze Han Chinese villagers have learnt to speak the language due to the fact that local Guiqiong speakers do not speak Chinese. In Maibeng, about two and a half hundred people have given up speaking the language. But in all the three most concentrated Guiqiong towns, Shelian, Qianxi and Maibeng, every villagers of the Guiqiong origin can understand the language. In the two north towns, Sanhe and Jintang, over 1000 people of Han Chinese in nationality perhaps of Guiqiong origin can still speak the language.... Even though there seems to be more people speaking the language than originally thought, Guiqiong does not have a bright future when it will be widely and actively used and endless inherited. Instead, quite a few signs suggest a language seriously losing its vigour. At the alpine Guiqiong homes, an older generation over 60 years of age largely monolingual has been using the language whole life long. Within the family, people between 40 and 60 have become bilingual, with most of them making a living in towns and cities where Guiqiong is hardly used. The younger generation can only understand a very limited number of Guiqiong words and hardly speak the language now that they spend most of their life at school or working with Chinese-speaking population. Though most Guiqiong young people marry those of similar backgrounds, the upcoming generation has a slimmer chance to learn Guiqiong better than any of their ancestors.... Guzan has witnessed the prosperity of economy and the fading of a language all at once. As an unwritten language, Guiqiong is not used in schools, whether the teacher can speak the language or not. A child brought up in Quiqiong only is expected to pick up Chinese as son as possible at school age for fear that she/e should not catch up in class. Guiqiong can only be heard in the depth of homes when adults and children exchange daily talks with their elders, when alpine friends and relatives come for a visit or, quite sparsely, when old acquaintances meet in the bustling streets." (p.18-19)