Cantonese is widely used now because after the founding of New China. China vigorously developed Guangdong and other coastal areas, especially after the Third Plenary Session, Deng Xiaoping attached great importance to the development of Guangdong. After the return of Hong Kong and Macao, Cantonese in Hong Kong, especially a series of Hong Kong films made in Hong Kong, came into everyone's sight and made everyone know Cantonese. Because of the popularity of Hong Kong films, many mainland youths like Cantonese, thinking that the pronunciation of Cantonese is particularly good, and some even learn Cantonese by watching Hong Kong films. Mainly because the business development in Guangdong was already very strong at that time, and many people who went to Guangdong learned Cantonese.
Nowadays, many people are advocating that Cantonese is the inheritance of ancient Chinese, because Cantonese speakers are in urgent need of everyone's recognition, and they also think it is a great honor for them to get the inheritance of ancient Chinese. However, Chinese has always been the inheritance of ancient Chinese, and the reason why Chinese became China Putonghua is also because it inherited the historical language development of China.
If a language can become the inheritance of ancient Chinese, it is an extremely glorious thing. Cantonese speakers wish they could have such honor, but they don't have such strength. They can only rely on the development of public opinion to convince believers, while non-believers keep their original views.