Place names in China primarily refers to Han Chinese names, but also to those used by China's minorities.
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",[1] a tendency that also appeared to be characteristic of Chinese place-names in Singapore.[2]
Tibetan, Mongolian, Uighur and tribal minorities of China's names are phonetically transcribed into Chinese.[3]
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" [4] / "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".
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 |
Chinese reckon five directions:
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.