Place names in China primarily refers to Han Chinese names, but also to those used by China's minorities.
Origins In his study of place-names in China, J. E. 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", a tendency that also appeared to be characteristic of Chinese place-names in Singapore.
Tibetan, Mongolian, Uighur and tribal minorities of China's names are phonetically transcribed into Chinese.
In Chinese grammar Names for places in China, when referred to in Chinese contain a class identifier. In English this is often translated, while the rest of the name is not. The class identifier in Chinese is placed at the end, in English with the exceptions of mountains and lakes the identifier is placed at the end too. For names of lakes and mountains "X Lake" / "Lake X" and "X Mountain" / "Mount X" both is used.
Some mountain ranges like Tian Shan are referred to English by the Chinese name. "Tian" means sky or heaven and "Shan" means mountain(s), so Tian Shan literally translates as the "Heaven Mountains".
List of class names E = English, C = Chinese, P = Pinyin Group Class (E) Class (C) Class (P) Example (E) Example (P) Administrative Autonomous Region 自治区 Zìzhìqū Tibet Autonomous Region Xīzàng Zìzhìqū Administrative Province 省 Shěng Hebei Province Héběi Shěng Administrative County 县 / 縣 -xian She County, Hebei Shè Xiàn Administrative Province (archaic) 州 -zhou Guizhou Administrative Autonomous county 自治县 Zìzhìxiàn Dachang Hui Autonomous County Administrative City 市 Shì Chengdu City Chéngdū Shì Administrative District 区 Qū Bincheng District Bīnchéng Qū Administrative League 盟 Méng Alxa League Ālāshàn Méng Administrative Autonomous banner 自治旗 Zìzhìqí Evenk Autonomous Banner Èwēnkèzú Zìzhìqí Landform Mountains 山脉 Ailao Mountains Āiláo Shān Landform Mountain 山 Shān Tianmu Mountain Tiānmù Shān Landform Peak 峰 Feng Landform Island 岛 Dǎo Liugong Island Liúgōng Dǎo Landform Plateau 草原 Cǎoyuán Bashang Plateau Bàshàng Cǎoyuán Landform Peninsula 半岛 Bàndǎo Shandong Peninsula Shāndōng Bàndǎo Landform Valley 沟 (formally 峡) Insukati Valley Landform Pass 关 Guān Kunlun Pass Kūnlún Guān Landform Desert 沙漠 Shāmò Taklamakan Desert Tǎkèlāmǎgān Shāmò Landform Gorge 峡 Xiá Wu Gorge Wū Xiá Landform Basin 盆地 Péndì Tarim Basin Tǎlǐmù Péndì Landform Cave 洞 Dòng Xianren Cave Xiānrén Dòng Landform Plain 平原 Píngyuán Chengdu Plain Chéngdū Píngyuán Landform Rock 磯/矶 Jī Swallow Rock Yànzi Jī Landform/Water Glacier 冰川 bīngchuān Mingyong Glacier Landform/Water Spring 泉 Quán Baimai Spring Bǎimài Quán Landform/Water Waterfall 瀑布 Pùbù Hukou Waterfall Hǔkǒu Pùbù Landform/Water River 河 Hé Huai River Huái Hé Landform/Water River 江 Jiāng Chang River Cháng Jiāng Landform/Water Lake 湖 Hú Ayding Lake Àidīng Hú Landform/Water Sea, X Gulf 海 Hǎi Bohai Sea Bó Hăi Landform/Water Bay 灣 Wān Bohai Bay Bóhǎi Wān Landform/Water Strait 海峡 Hǎixiá Taiwan Strait Landform/Water Reservoir 水库 Shuǐkù Jiangkou Reservoir Jiāngkǒu Shuǐkù Landform/Water Harbour 港 Gang Hong Kong Xiānggǎng
Directions Chinese reckon five directions:
East: 东, Dong — e.g., Guangdong (广东), "Eastern Part of the Expanse" West: 西, Xi — e.g., Xi'an (西安), "Western Pacified Area" South: 南, Nan — e.g., Hainan (海南), "South of the Sea" North: 北, Bei — e.g., Beijing (北京), "Northern Capital" Central/Middle: 中, Zhong —e.g., Hanzhong (汉中), "Middle of the Han"
From the early concept of yin and yang (阴 and 阳), originally based upon exposure to the sun, many placenames also incorporate them. Old Luoyang was located on the north bank of the Luo. Old Hanyang was located on the north bank of the Han, while the eponymous county seat of Hanyin was located on the south bank. When a placename is derived from a mountain, however, these positions are reversed: the yang side is the mountain's south face and the yin side its north.
See also Place names of Hong Kong
References