"Chinglish" guardian

For 32-year-old Oliver Radtke, his fascination with Chinglish began in 2000, when he noticed a sign while in a Shanghai taxi: "Don't forget to carry your thing," it said.

Since then, he has published two books on the subject. Most recently, "More Chinglish - Speaking in Tongues," which hit shelves in April. He also maintains a popular online blog.

There is a view held by many in China, and not least by the authorities, that Chinglish is an embarrassment that must be wiped out at all costs.

Radtke disagrees. He says the "language" should be preserved.

"There is a lot in Chinglish that is so much more than just incompetent English or incorrect English," he said.

"A lot of the Chinglish signs carry a certain Chinese notion in them which enriches the English language and makes English more Chinese in the sense that there is a certain Chinese flavor, a certain Chinese way of thinking."

Radtke focuses on written examples of the lingo on signboards, menu cards and shop fronts.

Some signs highlighted in his books are decidedly politically incorrect - "Cripple's lane," rather than "Wheelchair path," or "Deformed man toilet," instead of "Handicapped restroom."

Others are more poetic, such as one sign reminding visitors to one section of the Great Wall of China to be careful: "Do not forget the fire is heartless."

Chinese citizens warming to "Chinglish"

"The initial reaction of many Chinese users was very much against the project. They thought I was making fun of them," Radtke said.

But he says the Chinese are increasingly supportive of his efforts, and many have come to understand that he believes Chinglish is in fact enriching the English language.

Radtke, as a German, believes the entire notion of one single, standard version of English is outdated because it now has far more than one billion regular users worldwide, and a rapidly growing number speak it as their second language.

In recent years, China has kicked off campaigns to root out poor English grammar and misused vocabulary in official usage.

Much to Radtke's horror, the most famous of these drives took place in Beijing prior to the Olympic Games in August last year.

During that time, authorities rechristened the Dongda Proctology Hospital, formerly the Dongda Anus Hospital.

However Radtke maintains these campaigns will never fully succeed. He's optimistic that Chinglish will never disappear from the mainstream.

"I'm pessimistic when it comes to official signs in the big cities. But restaurants, companies, private institutions, small shop owners will all produce a lot of Chinglish," he says.