GnuDoyng

Though much has been depicted and debated, it would be quite a fresh experience to read a Japanese scholar’s point of view about Foochowese, which also provides a very concise and neutral elucidation for its decline in everyday use:

しかし、閩東語（福州語）については、福州が福建省の省都であるにもかかわらず、福建省全体への影響力があるわけではなく、福建省内には閩南語や客家語などの強い言語もあることから、相対的に通じにくい閩東語の地位は低くなって忘れられがちだ。生活言語も中国語化されてしまい、福州に住んでいながら閩東語が話せない子どもが増えているのだという。福州市は閩東語の発展に積極的ではなく、街には「普通話（中国語）で話しましょう」というスローガンが見られ、市内バスの自動アナウンスも中国語のみで、閩東語は使われていない。

Thanks to my Taiwanese friend Taokara’s help (as I don’t read or write Japanese), the most important part of that article has now been translated for your convenience:

When it comes to Min Dong (Foochowese), however, things are somewhat different. Despite being the capital of Fukien, Foochow has no equivalent influence over the whole province. In respect that Min Nan and Hakka is more influential whereas Min Dong is relatively difficult to understand and thus could be easily forgotten (not sure if this sentence is correctly translated), Min Dong only has a humble status, and is undergoing the process of Mandarinization. The number of children residing in Foochow that cannot speak Min Dong is perhaps on the increase. Moreover, Foochow citizens take little action in the revival of Min Dong. In the streets there are posters reading “Let’s speak Mandarin!”; in the downtown buses only Mandarin is broadcast, Min Dong excluded.

By the way, you might find this term “Mandarinization” confusing. I’ll clarify it with an example: the pure Foochowese word for “airplane” is “Buŏi-sùng” (飛船), but nowadays the loanword from Mandarin “Hĭ-gĭ” (飛機) is the most widely used. Of course, the death of our mother tongue won’t occur all of a sudden, but will go through a long stage of Mandarinization, by which Mandarin will erode Foochowese in every aspect, be it pronunciation, glossary, or syntax.