The names of the provinces in China

[Yoon-Ngan Chung <chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au>]

The names of the provinces in China 

Chinese characters are Romanized according to two systems:
the Wade-Giles system and the pinyin which means 
Chinese phonetic transcription.

Taiwan and Hong Kong are still using the Wade-Giles system.
Whereas other countries like China, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia,
and New Zealand are officially using pinyin. I do not know which
system is in use by the Overseas Chinese in other parts of the world
especially in U.S.A. and Canada.   

The names, in pinyin, of the provinces in China.

     (1)  Anhui  Province
An means calm.     Hui means beautiful 

There were two ancient provincial governments in this
province. One was called An Ching and the other Hui Zhou. 
The name of this province was derived from the first word
of the names of those two ancient provinces of An Ching
and Hui Zhou.
Anhui means calm and beautiful.


     (2)  Fujian  Province
Fu means lucky.    Jian means established.

There were two ancient provincial governments in this province.
One was called Fu Zhou and the other Jian Ning.
This was the territory of the State of Yue during the Warring
States Period (453BC to 221BC).
The name of this province was derived from the first word of the 
names of those two ancient provincial governments of Fu Zhou and Jian Ning.
Fujian means luckily established.

    (3)   Gansu Province
Gan means sweet.     Su means respectful.

There were two ancient provincial governments in this province.
One was called Gan Zhou and the other Su Zhou. The name of this province was
derived from the first word of those two ancient
provincial governments Gan Zhou and Su Zhou.
Gansu means sweet and respectful.

    (4)   Guangdong Province
Guang means vast.    Dong means east.

This province is the southern most of the Chinese provinces.
It is situated in the territory east of the large river Yue Jiang.  
It was called Bai Yue during the Spring and Autumn Period
(722BC to 481BC).

A provincial government called Guangdong was established there
during the Ming Dynasty (1368AD to 1644AD). It had been called
Guangdong ever since.
Guangdong means  vast land east of the Yue river.

   (5)   Guangxi  Province
Guang means vast.  Xi means west.

This province was called Guang Nan West Road during the Song Dynasty
(960AD to 1279AD). A provincial government called Guangxi was
established there during the Ming Dynasty (1368AD to 1644AD). It had
been called Guangxi ever since.
Guangxi means  vast land west of the capital Beijing.

    (6)  Guizhou  Province
Gui means precious.    Zhou means state.

This province is situated in the east of the plateau Gui Yun. 
It takes its name from the first word of the Gui Yun Plateau and by adding
Zhou (state) after Gui. Guizhou means precious province.

    (7)   Hebei  Province
He means river.   Bei means north.

This province is situated north of Huang He (Yellow River).
Hebei means north of the river (Yellow River).

    (8)  Heilongjiang  Province
Hei means black.  Long means dragon.  Jiang means river.

Heilongjiang (Amur River) is the major river furthest from the centre of
Chinese civilization and forms the boundary between China and Russia.
The name of this province was derived from the name of the river
Heilongjiang which means black dragon river.

   (9) Henan  Province
He means river.   Nan means south.

This province is situated south of Huang He (Yellow River).
Henan means south of the river (Yellow River).

   (10)  Hubei  Province
Hu means lake.   Bei means north.

This province is situated north of Tong Ting Hu a lake in the region. 
It was the territory of the State of Chu during the 
Warring States Period (453BC to 221BC).
Hubei means north of the lake of Tong Ting.

  (11)  Hunan  Province
Hu means lake.   Nan means south.

This province is situated south of Tong Ting Hu, a lake in the region.It is
reknown as the home province of Mao Tze Dong.
Hunan means south of the lake Tong Ting.

     (12)  Jiangsu   Province
Jiang means large river.  Su means revive from unconciousness.

There were two provincial governments in the ancient State of Wu.
One was called Jiang Ning and the other was Su Zhou. The name of 
this province was derived from the first word of the names of those
two ancient provincial governments of Jiang Ning and Su Zhou.

   (13) Jiangxi  Province
Jiang means large river.   Xi means west

This province was called Jiang Nan West Road during the Tang
Dynasty (618AD to 907AD). Jiang Nan means south of Chang Jiang
(Yangtze River or Son of the Ocean). This name was later changed 
to Jiang Xi during the Ming Dynasty (1368AD to 1644AD).
Jiangxi means west of Yangtze River.

     (14) Jilin  Province
Ji means lucky.   Lin means forest.

Manchu words Jilin Wula means along the river of          
Song Hua Jiang (Sungari). The Manchu people called this
province Jilin and left off the word Wula (along).
Jilin means lucky forest.

     (15)  Liaoning  Province
Liao means distant.   Ning means tranquil, peaceful, rather.

The name of this province was derived from the river, Liao,
which flows through this province in North East China.
Liaoning means rather distant.

     (16)   Nei Monggol
Nei means inner.    Monggol means the name of the minority       
                    group in China.
This province is situated in the north eastern part of China.
Monggol people established the Yuan Dynasty (1271AD to 1368AD)
in China. The territory of the Monggol people was geographically divided
into two parts. One part is called Outer Monggol which is the 
independentnRepublic of Mongolia . The other part is called Inner Monggol 
which is part of China. 
Neimonggol means inner Mongolia.

     (17)  Ningxia Province
Ning means tranquil; peaceful; rather.    Xia means summer.

This province is called Ningxia because there was an ancient
non-Han State called Xia in that region, and it was a warring
State. The ancient Chinese dynasties had a hard time controlling
this State from invading the Central Plains (Zhong Yuan).
Finally when the State of Xia was exterminated, the Chinese named 
it Ningxia.
Ningxia means to bring tranquility to the State of Xia.

     (18)  Qinghai  Province
Qing means green.  Hai means sea.

There is a big lake in the province called Qing Hai.
This province was named after the lake.
Qinghai means green sea.

     (19)    Shaanxi  Province

Shan3 means narrow.   Xi means west.
This province was called Shaanxi Road during the Song Dynasty
(960AD to 1279AD). It had been called Shaanxi without the word
Road ever since.
Shan3 Xi means narrow strip of land in the west.

     (20)  Shangdong  Province
Shan means mountain.  Dong means east.

This province is situated east of Tai Hang Shan (Tai Hang Mountains).
Shandong means east of the mountain of Tai Hang.

     (21)  Shanxi  Province
Shan means mountain.  Xi means west.

This province is situated west of Tai Hang Shan.
Shanxi means west of the mountain Tai Hang.

     (22)  Sichuan  Province
Si means four.  Chuan means river.

The four rivers that form the headwaters of Yangtze River  
(Son of the Ocean) give Sichuan Province its name. The four rivers
are; the Min Jiang, the Jia Ling Jiang, the Tuo Jiang and the
Wu Jiang.
Sichuan means the region of four rivers.

    (23)  Taiwan Province
Tai means a flat raised surface.  Wan means a bay.

This province is an island in the China Sea and south-east of the China
coast. The name of the province is derived from the huge bay stretching 60
nautical miles from Guo Xiong to Cat Nose Head where a large aboriginal
settlement existed even before the arrival of the Portuguese. After the
arrival of westerners, it was known by the romantic name Formosa. 
Taiwan means a big flat land bounded by a huge bay.
         
     (24)  Yunnan  Province
Yun means clouds.  Nan means south.

This province is situated south of the plateau Gui Yun (see Guizhou
province). The name Yun Nan derived from the second word of the name
of Gui Yun Plateau. Since it is south of the plateau the word south
Nan) is added after Yun.
Yunnan means the land of south of the clouds.

     (25)  Xingjiang  Province
Xing means new.  Jiang means frontier.

This province is in the western region of China.
In 1638AD a provincial government called Xingjiang was established
there to manage the affairs of this region. It had been called
by that name ever since.
Xingjiang means new frontier land.

    (26)  Xizang  Province

Xi means west.  Zang means the name of a minority race in China.
This province is situated in the western part of China. The province was
named after the Zang people with an adjective Xi (west) added before the
word Zang.
Xizang means the Zang people living in the west of China.
   
    (27)  Zhejiang  Province
Zhe means the name of a river called Zhe.  Jiang means a large river.
The largest river that flowed through this province was called Zhejiang
(Zhe River). The name of this province was named after that river Zhejiang.
Even though the name of that river had been changed from Zhenjiang
to Qian Tang Jiang the name for the province Zhejiang remained. 
Zhejiang means the name of a river called Zhejiang.

    

The following are the names of the provinces and their capitals
in China Romanized according to the two systems.

        Wade-Giles                            Pinyin
        ==========                            =======
Province          Capital               Province        Capital

Anhwei            Hofei                 Anhui          Hefei
Chekiang          Hangchow              Zhejiang       Hangzhou 
Chinghai          Sining                Qinghai        Xining
Fukien            Foochow               Fujian         Fuzhou
Heilungkiang      Harbin                Heilongjiang   Harbin
Honan             Chengchow                           Zhengzhou          
Hopeh             Shihchiachuang        Hebei          Shijiazhuang
Hunan             Changsha              Hunan          Changsha
Hupeh             Wuhan                 Hubei          Wuhan
Inner Mongolian   Huhebot               Nei Monggol    Huhebot
Kansu             Lanchow               Gansu          Lanzhou
Kiangsu           Nanking               Jiangsu        Nanjing
Kiangsi           Nanchang              Jiangxi        Nanchang
Kirin             Changchun             Jilin          Changchun
Kwangsi           Nanning               Guangxi        Nanning
Kwangtung         Kwangchow             Guangdong      Guangzhou
Kweichow          Kweiyang              Guizhou        Guiyang 
Liaoning          Shenyang              Liaoning       Shenyang
Ningsia           Yinchuan              Ningxia        Yinchuan
Shansi            Taiyuan               Shanxi         Taiyuan
Shantung          Tsinan                Shandong       Jinan 
Shensi            Sian                  Shaanxi        Xian
Singkiang         Urumchi               Xingjiang      Urumtsi (Wulumuqi)
Szechuang         Chengtu               Sichuan        Chengdu
Taiwan            Taipei                Taiwan         Taibei
Tibet             Lhasa                 Xizang         Lasha
Yunnan            Kunming               Yunnan         Kunming

 CHUNG Yoon-Ngan.  chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au