Some Esteemed Names of Chinese Cities

Capital of Pottery --- Yixing (Jiangsu Province)

City of Fruit--- Nanchong (Sichuan Province)

City of Gourd --- Shaoguan (Guangdong Province)

City of Flower and Fruit--- Nanjing (Guangxi Province)

Capital of Rain --- Jilong (Taiwan Province)

City of Goose --- Baise (Guangxi Province)

City of Sleepless --- Shanghai

Red Onetime Capital--- Ruijin (Jiangxi Province)

City of Poem --- Baidi City (Sichuan Province)

City of Car --- Shiyan (Hubei Province)

City of Cherry Blossom--- Dalian (Liaoning Province)

City of Silk--- Dandong (Liaoning Province)

City of Sweet--- Neijiang (Sichuan Province)

Capital of Poem --- Luoyang (Henan Province)

City of Furnace--- Wuhan (Hubei Province)

Sea of Coal--- Datong (Shanxi Province)

Capital of Fur--- Zhangjiakou (Hebei Province)

City of Spring--- Kunmin (Yunnan Province)

City of Five Fortresses--- Xining (Qinghai Province)

City of Lake--- Jilin Province

Capital of Fog--- Chongqing

City of Jewelry --- Bangbu (Anhui Province)

City of Banana--- Maoming (Guangdong Province)

City of Carp--- Quanzhou (Fujian Province)

City of Lake --- Harbin (Heilongjiang Province)

City of Green --- Zhangzhou (Henan Province)

City of Gardens--- Suzhou (Jiangsu Province)

City of Rive --- Kaifeng (Henan Province)

 Why Hong Kong is called Fragrant Port?

Why Hong Kong is called Fragrant Port? There are several different sayings about it. First one, there was a female pirate whose name was Fragrant Aunt. The island was her base and so it was called Fragrant Port later. Second one, there was a waterfall near the place Young Fragrant Port. Many sailors always drank water from the waterfall since it was sweet. So the place was called Fragrant Port.

Long long ago, there was a small village called Fragrant Port Village near Shipai Gulf and now it is still called Small Fragrant Port or Fragrant Port Exclosure. Today's Fragrant Island and Kowloon used to be under the administration of Dongguan County of Guangdong Province. Then Xin'an County (renamed as Bao'an County later and Shenzhen City nowadays) was separated from Dongguan County, and Fragrant Port Island belonged to Baoan County. After the Opium War in 1840, the Qing government ceded the island to Britain.

At that time Dongguan County of Guangdong Province was abundant with a kind of flavor that was coagulated by liquid from a kind of fragrant tree. Some flavor is like rosin, others like sandalwood. This flavor can be made into many fragrant products. People can put them on a little furnace and fire it with boiled water. Then the fragrance spreads out.

The kind of fragrance is called Guan Fragrance since it is produced in Dongguan. At that time many fragrant products were shipped to a lot of provinces and cities such as Jiangsu Province, Hangzhou and Beijing. So the district is called Fragrant Port and the village is called Fragrant Port Village later.

The finest fragrance of this kind is so expensive that the price value is the same as gold. The most precious one is Dongguan Daughter Fragrance.

It is said that once upon a time the Qing Imperial Palace was in need of this fragrance. But the output of it was quite limited. The court sent special placemen to collect it. They forced people in Dongguan to hand in the flavor. The fragrance farmers fled away after they burnt fragrant trees since they couldn't bear the arbitrariness. After that Guan Fragrance declined and became just a history. But the name of Fragrant Port is called by people till now.

 Original Meanings of Some City Names

Harbin

In the language of Manchu ethnic minority, it means fishing net bleachery. It was a fishing village and became a city in 1932 after it was connected to outside by railway.

Hohhot

In the Mongolian language, it means green city.

Xilinhot

In the Mongolian language, it means high city.

Baotou

In the Mongolian language, it means place full of deer.

Hailar

In the Mongolian language, it means fluent water.

Ulanhot

In the Mongolian language it means red city.

Ulanchabu League

In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) many troops joined forces here in Hongluo Valley (in the Mongolian language it was called Ulanchabu). So it is called the name now.

Xilingol League

In the Qing Dynasty many troops joined forces near the Xilingol River. So it is called the name now.

Ih Ju League

In the Qing Dynasty many troops joined forces near Ih Ju (in the Mongolian language it means big temple). So it is called the name now.

Baiyunebo

In the Mongolian language it means golconda.

Jilin City

It was called Jilinwula in the past. In the Mongolian language it means along river.

Xi'an

It was called Chang'an in the past. In the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) the place was named as Xi'an office that is a strongpoint to control the west of China. So it is called Xi'an now.

Yinchuan

It is a famous old city and once was called Ningxia City (also Xia City or Yin City for short). The place name comes from its beautiful scene that is between Helan Mountain and the Yellow River.

Urumqi

In the Mongolian language, it means beautiful prairie.

Akesu

In the Uygur language it means water.

Jinan

Since the city is located at the south of old Ji River, it gets the name.

Wuxi (no stannum)

In Zhou (11^th century-256BC) and the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC), the place was abundant with copper and stannum, but in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) all stannum was mined. Then the place was named Wuxi (no stannum).

Lianyungang

Since it is located between Yuntai Mountain and a sea island, the place is called Lianyungang (a harbor connecting to clouds).

Xuzhou

The name comes from the ancient Xuyi or one of nine zhou (cantons).

Zhenjiang (suppress floods)

Since the place often suffered from floods, people put zhen(suppress) before jiang (lake) to pray for safety.

Yancheng (Salt City)

The place is famous for salt.

Hefei

Fei water flows out from Zipeng Mountain and divides into two branches. Then the two rivers converge to the place. So it is called Hefei.

Bengbu (mussel dock)

In the ancient time, people collected pearls from mussels here where many boats got together on the dock. Then the place is called bengbuji (mussel dock) and in 1946 it was set up as Bengbu city.

Hangzhou

Legend has it that when Dayu (the Great Yu, a hero who prevented floods by water control) regulated rivers he left his ship to land here. In Chinese, the pronunciation of on ship is the same as that of hang so the place is called Hangzhou now.

Jilong

There is a small hencoop outside of the harbor and a big hencoop to the east of the harbor. At that time the place was called hencoop. Later an emperor of the Qing Dynasty who didn't think it was a good name for the place changed it to Jilong. The two names have the same pronunciations but different meanings. Nowadays the name means prosperity.

Hengyang (south of Hengshan Mountains)

The place is located south of Hengshan Mountains so it is called Hengyang (south of Heng Mountains).

Lhasa

In the Tibetan language it means Holy Land. Since the place is full of sunshine and rare fog or rains it has another name Sunshine City.