中国地名

Part One, Place names 地名

1.中国的行政划分 The administrative divisions of China

Please remember as many common place names (in both pinyin and characters) as possible, and check their locations in a map.

省	shěng	province – controlled by the central government.   Examples: 吉林省 Jílín Shěng 辽宁省 Liáoníng Shěng 河北省 Héběi Shěng 河南省 Hénán Shěng 湖北省 Húběi Shěng 湖南省 Húnán Shěng 广东省 Guǎngdōng Shěng   陕西省 Shǎnxī Shěng 四川省 Sìchuān Shěng 江苏省 Jiāngsū Shěng 浙江省 Zhèjiāng Shěng 福建省 Fújiàn Shěng
自治区	zìzhìqū	autonomous region (at the level of a province) – controlled by the central government, but managed by the ethnic group who make up the majority of the local population.   Examples 西藏自治区 xīzàng 新疆维吾尔族 xīnjiāng 内蒙古 nèiménggǔ 广西壮族自治区 guǎngxī 宁夏回族自治区 níngxià
直辖市	zhíxiáshì	municipality directly controlled by the central government   北京市běijīng shì 上海市 shànghǎi shì 天津市 tiānjīn shì 重庆市 chóngqìng shì
市	shì	Municipality under the provincial government.   省会市shěnghuì shì, metropolitan cities – capital cities of the provinces   西安市 xīān shì，陕西省省会 郑州市 zhèngzhōu shì, 河南省省会 长沙市 chángshā shì, 湖南省省会 南昌市 nánchāng shì, 江西省省会 长春市  chángchūn shì, 吉林省省会 沈阳市 shěngyángs shì, 辽宁省省会 南京市 nánjīng shì，江苏省省会 武汉市 wǔhàn shì，  湖北省省会     Non-metropolitan cities – cities with big populations 宜春市 yíchūn shì，在江西 襄阳市 xiāngyáng shì，在湖北 衡水市 héngshuǐ shì，在河北 秦皇岛市 qínhuángdǎo shì，在河北 宜城市yíchéng shì, 在湖北 岳阳市 yuèyáng shì, 在湖南 浏阳市 liúyáng shì, 在湖南
区	qū	district – a division of a municipality – under the municipality.
县	xiàn	county – under the municipality but outside its urban area.   县城 xiànchéng, the county town
镇	zhèn	a town – under the county, but outside the main urban area of the county.
村	cūn	villages – a group of villages as an administrative division of the agricultural regions of a county.
居委会	jūwěihuì	a community within the district or town of a city.
小区

 

2.1. Cultural specific items

(a) Place names with historical significance

- Place names with '州’ (zhōu)：These cities were formerly the capital of a prefecture (州 zhōu), e.g.:

郑州 zhèngzhōu，广州 guǎngzhōu，杭州 hángzhōu， 苏州 sūzhōu， 福州 fúzhōu，徐州 xúzhōu，郴州 chēnzhōu，…

Formerly, China was divided into zhōu, not into shěng.

 

- Place names with '阳’ and '阴’: A city name with '阳’yáng or '阴’ yīn is named after either a river or a mountain.

If associated with a river, the city with '阳’ is to the north of the river, e.g.:

汉阳 hànyáng, a city north of the Han River

洛阳 luòyáng, a city north of the Luo River

 浏阳 liúyáng, a city north of the Liu River.

 耒阳 lěiyáng, a city north of the Lei River. (Note that '耒’lěi is not '来’ lái)

If associated with a mountain, the city with '阳’ is to the south of the mountain, e.g.:

衡阳市 héngyáng shì, a city to the south of Hengshan 衡山, 在湖南

山阳县 shānyáng xiàn, a county to the south of the mountians, 在陕西省

山阴县 shānyīn xiàn, a county to the north of the mountains, 在山西省