Chinese place names

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Chinese place names refer primarily to Han Chinese names but also to those used by Chinese minorities.

Origins

Spencer (1941) suggests that Han Chinese place names indicate both indigenous cultural and geographical influences, but rarely cultural influences from other parts of the world.

Tibetan, Mongolian, Uighur and tribal minority names are phonetically transcribed into Chinese.

In Chinese grammar

Names for locations in China included when reference is made to them in Chinese, a class name ( English : " class identifier .." In English, this is often translated, however, not the rest of the name The trailing Chinese measure word is adjusted in English also with Exceptions for mountains and lakes. The names of lakes and mountains are either " X Lake " / " Lake X " or " X Mountain " / "Mount X".)

Some mountain ranges such as Tian Shan are taken directly from Chinese into English. " Tian " means sky and " Shan " means mountain (s) or mountain range, " Tian Shan " literally means "heavenly mountains " or "heavenly mountains ".

List of class names

C = Chinese ( short form ), P = Pinyin , D = German

group Class
(D) 		Class
(C) 		Class
(P) 		Example
(D) 		Example
(P)
Administrative Autonomous area 自治区 zìzhìqū Tibet Autonomous Region Xīzàng Zìzhìqū
Administrative province 省 shěng Hebei Province Héběi Shěng
Administrative Government immediate city 直辖市 zhíxiá shì Beijing City Běijīng Shì
Administrative Special Administrative Region 特别 行政区 tèbié xíngzhèngqū Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Xiānggǎng Tèbié Xíngzhèngqū
Administrative Sub-provincial town 副 省級 城市 fù shěngjí chéngshì Chengdu city Chéngdū Shì
Administrative District-free city 地 级 市 dìjí shì Baoding City Bǎodìng Shì
Administrative Autonomous District 自治州 zìzhì zhōu Ngawa Autonomous District of the Tibetans and Qiang Ābà Zàngzú Qiāngzú Zìzhìzhōu
Administrative Administrative district 地区 dìqū Nyingchi Governorate Línzhī Dìqū
Administrative Federation 盟 méng Alxa Bund Ālāshàn Méng
Administrative Borough 市 辖区 shìxiá qū Saihan District Sain Qu
Administrative District-free city 县级 市 xiànjí shì City of Hulin Hǔlín Shì
Administrative circle 县 xian Circle Pan Pan Xiàn
Administrative Autonomous Circle 自治县 zìzhì xiàn Ning'er Autonomous County of the Hani and Yi Níng'ěr Hānízú Yízú Zìzhìxiàn
Administrative banner 旗 qí Left tumed banner Tǔmòtè Zuǒ Qí
Administrative Autonomous banner 自治旗 zìzhì qí Autonomous banner Morin Dawa the Daur Mòlì Dáwǎ Dáwò'ěrzú Zìzhì Qí
Administrative Special area / forest area 特区 /
林区 		tèqū / línqū Shennongjia forest area Shénnóngjià Línqū
Administrative Street district 街道 办事处 jiēdào bànshì chù Gulangyu Street District Gǔlàngyǔ Jiēdào
Administrative Large community 镇 zhèn Xitang Parish Xītáng Zhèn
Administrative local community 乡 xiāng Linjiang Township Línjiāng Xiāng
Administrative Nationality community 民族乡 mínzú xiāng Shibazhan parish of the Oroqen Shíbāzhàn Èlúnchūnzú Xiāng
Administrative Sum 苏木 sūmù Sum Handagai Hndágài Sūmù
Administrative Nationalities sum 民族 苏木 mínzú sūmù Evenk nationalities sum Èwēnkè Mínzú Sūmù
Administrative District Office 区公所 qūgōng suǒ Qiman District Office Qímàn Qūgōng Suǒ
Administrative Community of residents 社区 shèqū Hongyancun Community Hóngyáncūn Shèqū
Administrative Village 村 cūn Linlu village Línlù Cūn
Administrative Gaqaa 嘎查 gāchá Gaqaa Bayan Burd Bāyīn Bùrìdé Gāchá
Landform Mountain range 山脉 shānmài Himalayas Xǐmǎlāyǎ Shānmài
Landform Mountain (s) / mountain range 山 shān Tianmu Mountains / Mountains Tiānmù Shān
Landform summit 峰 fēng Mount Everest Zhūmùlǎngmǎ Fēng
Landform island 岛 dǎo Zhoushan Island Zhōushān Dǎo
Landform Plateau 草原 cǎoyuán Bashang Plateau Bàshàng Cǎoyuán
Landform peninsula 半岛 bàn dǎo Leizhou Peninsula Léizhōu Bàn Dǎo
Landform valley 沟
(early. 峡) 		gōu
( xiá ) 		Insukati valley
Landform passport 关 guān Kunlun Pass Kūnlún Guān
Landform desert 沙漠 shamò Taklamakan desert Tǎkèlāmǎgān Shāmò
Landform Gorge / canyon 峡 xiá Wu gorge Wū Xiá
Landform Basin / basin 盆地 péndì Tarim basin Tǎlǐmù Péndì
Landform cave 洞 dòng Tianyuan Cave Tiányuán Dòng
Landform level 平原 píngyuán Chengdu plain Chéngdū Píngyuán
Landform / water glacier 冰川 bīngchuān Rongpu glacier Róngbù Bīngchuān
Landform / water source 泉 quan Baimai source Bi Mài Quan
Landform / water waterfall 瀑布 pùbù Hukou waterfall Hǔkǒu Pùbù
Landform / water flow 河 hé Huai river Huái Hé
Landform / water Stream, great river 江 jiāng Jialing stream Jīalíng Jiāng
Landform / water (Inland) sea 湖 hú Aiding lake Àidīng Hú
Landform / water Sea, X golf / bay / bay 海 hǎi Gulf of Bohai Bó Hăi
Landform / water Gulf / bay / bay 灣 wān Bohai Bay Bóhǎi Wān
Landform / water (Sea) road 海峡 hǎixiá Taiwan Strait Táiwān Hǎixiá
Landform / water Reservoir / dam 水库 shuǐkù Xinfengjiang Reservoir Xīnfēngjiāng Shuǐkù

Cardinal points

  • East: 东, Dong - eg Guangdong (广东), "Far East"
  • West: 西, Xi - eg Xi'an (西安), "West Peace"
  • South: 南, Nan - eg Hainan (海南), "sea-south"
  • North: 北, Bei - eg Beijing (北京), "North Capital"

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Brenda SA Yeoh Contesting Space in Colonial Singapore- 2003 Page 232 “This tendency appeared to be characteristic not only of Chinese place-names in Singapore: in his study of place-names in China, JE Spencer notes that 'although Chinese names indicate both domestic cultural and geographical influences, they almost never indicate cultural influence from other parts of the world.77 ... "
  2. ↑ Joseph Earle Spencer -Chinese Place Names and the appreciation of Geographic Realities 1941
  3. ↑ Central Asiatic Journal: - Volumes 38-39 1994 - Page 222 "A confusing aspect of the Chinese character renderings of Tibetan (as well as Mongolian and Uighur) place names concerns how particular characters are chosen to transcribe specific Tibetan letters."
  4. ↑ http://www.mwr.gov.cn/english1/20040802/38171.asp - Ministry of Water Resources