People's Republic of China Gazetteer of Geographical Names Yunnan Province

Author: Chief Editor: Zhu Huirong
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1994-10-01
Features:
(1) This volume was approved by the Yunnan Provincial People's Government and compiled by the Yunnan Compiling Committee for the "Dictionary of Geographical Names of the People's Republic of China," consisting of experts from the Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Geographical Names, Yunnan University, Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Provincial Library, Provincial Museum, Provincial Department of Transportation, Provincial Department of Water Conservancy, and the former Kunming Military Region Surveying Brigade. Other participants in the compilation included Ni Hongbin, Li Kai, Chen Qingjiang, and Zhu Zhongying. The compilation work lasted nine years, underwent multiple revisions, and was meticulously reviewed and polished. To ensure the smooth progress of the work, the office of the Provincial Bureau of Geographical Names and individuals such as Jianguo, Zhou Wenyuan, Long Jinyun, Wang Yuan, Wang Shuying, Jiang Li, Wu Yurong, and Zhang Wenfa contributed their efforts. The People's Governments of all prefectures, cities, and counties in Yunnan, as well as their respective geographical name committees, provided strong support by assigning to draft initial versions, providing relevant materials, and reviewing explanations. The provincial-level commissions, offices, departments, and relevant units also offered significant support by supplying materials. Additionally, this volume received enthusiastic support from many organizations and individuals, for which we express our gratitude.
(2) This volume includes 4,636 geographical names (including referenced names). They are categorized as follows:
1. 1 provincial name,
2. names of cities, prefectures, autonomous prefectures, counties, and districts (including residential areas, enterprises and institutions, urban land pieces, streets, and lanes) – 2,883 names,
3. natural geographical names (including plateaus, mountains, passes, mountain passes, basins, rivers, gorges, lakes, islands, shoals, caves, springs, waterfalls, glaciers, debris flows, and nature reserves) – 731 names,
4. water conservancy and power facilities (including reservoirs, irrigation canals, sluices, water pumps, power plants, and hydropower stations) – 241 names,
5. transportation (including railways, highways, waterways, bridges, ship locks, tunnels, cable cars, stations, ports, docks, ferry crossings, and airports) – 281 names,
6. memorial sites – 43 names,
7. scenic spots and historical sites (including national key scenic areas, scenic spots, ancient buildings, ancient tombs, and ancient sites) – 258 names,
8. regional names – 9 names,
9. shortened names – 9 names,
10. old names (including old names of prefectures and above) – 18 names.
(3) Administrative division data for prefectures and above in this volume are as of the end of 1992. The text and maps in this volume are not for use in demarcating provincial, municipal, or county boundaries.
(4) The population figures for cities, prefectures, autonomous prefectures, counties, and municipal districts in this volume are based on the Fourth National Population Census conducted on July 1, 1990. The population figures for towns and other residential areas are approximate values from recent years.
(5) The area of administrative divisions for prefectures and above in this volume are based on the figures published by the Yunnan Provincial Statistics Bureau. Meteorological data are based on the compiled data of the Provincial Meteorological Bureau. The forest coverage rate is based on systematic data from the Yunnan Provincial Forest Survey and Design Institute, with verification using data provided by counties.
(6) The location indicators for geographical names in this volume, unless otherwise specified, are as follows:
1. When the distance to the "city area" is noted, the "city area" refers to the central city as conventionally understood.
2. When the distance to the town where the county government is located is noted, the distance is calculated as a straight line from the geometric center of the town.
(7) The historical evolution of cities, prefectures, autonomous prefectures, and counties primarily revolves around the origin and changes of geographical names, briefly tracing the establishment, abolition, division, amalgamation, elevation, subordination, and significant boundary changes of administrative divisions within their jurisdiction (changes in the territory of cities, prefectures, and autonomous prefectures exceeding one county, and changes in the territory of counties exceeding one township or town).
(8) For prefecture-level cities governing multiple districts and counties, the introduction of the "city area" in the city entries represents the overall description of all municipal districts, primarily focusing on the urban area (central city area).
(9) The latitude and longitude of counties refer to the values at the county seat. For townships, the main introduction focuses on the central area of the town, and the area of the town refers to the built-up area of the town, while the population refers to the number of residents in the town.
(10) The transportation information in this volume: roads marked as "×× Highway" are included with dedicated entries. Roads without dedicated entries are marked with their start and end points (××—×× Highway). Other minor roads are not named. Roads accessible only by horse trails or with important bridges or ferry crossings are noted accordingly. Unmarked residential areas remain unconnected by roads to this day.
(11) The arrangement of main category entries:
- Administrative division and residential area names are organized by administrative region, with minor adjustments based on administrative codes.
- Natural geographical names are organized by their respective natural geographical systems.
- Water conservancy and power facilities are organized by type, then by river system.
- Transportation names are organized by type.
- Memorial sites and scenic spots are primarily organized by their respective administrative divisions, with secondary consideration given to chronological order.
- Old names are organized by administrative level and the administrative code of the current governing division.
(12) The arrangement of referenced name entries:
1. Alternative names, aliases, poetic names, and colloquial names of prefectures, residential areas, and natural geographical names above the level of towns are listed as references following the main name entries.
2. Important natural geographical names that are also scenic spots are listed under both categories, with one serving as a reference entry.
Excerpt: In 1990, Yunnan had 2,030 ordinary high schools, 228 vocational high schools, 138 secondary professional schools, and 53,556 primary schools. There were 128 cultural centers, 148 public libraries, and 890 cinemas and movie theaters. There were 6,671 medical and health institutions, including 492 hospitals at the prefecture and above levels. Ethnic medicine included Dai and Tibetan medicine. There were 12 radio stations, 24 television stations, 2,281 ground satellite receiving stations, and a television population coverage rate of 65%. Yunnan is the homeland of ethnic folk songs and dances, with its minority dances and songs enjoying fame both domestically and internationally. Local opera forms include Dian Opera, Flower Lantern Opera, Bai Opera, Yi Opera, Dai Opera, Zhuang Opera, and Nuo Opera. Yunnan boasts stunning landscapes and rich ethnic culture, with numerous memorial sites, cultural relics, historical sites, and scenic spots, making it a tourism paradise. There are 17 national key cultural relic protection units, including the fossil site of Laramie, the Yuanmou Man Site, the Tahe City Ruins, the Shizhong Mountain Grottoes, the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, the Nanzhou Iron Pillar, the Dizang Temple Stele, the Golden Hall of Taihe Palace, the Manfeilong Pagodas, the Octagonal Pavilion of Jingzhen, the Guangyun Miao Temple, and the former site of the Yunnan Military Academy. There are also 102 provincial-level key cultural relic protection units. There are 6 national key scenic areas, including the Dianchi Lake in Kunming, the Stone Forest in Lunan, Xishuangbanna, Dali, Lijiang's Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and the Three Parallel Rivers. There are also 11 provincial-level key scenic areas. Kunming, Dali, and Lijiang are nationally protected historical and cultural cities, while Jianshui, Weishan, Baoshan, Tengchong, and Weixin are provincially protected historical and cultural cities. The geographical names of Yunnan reflect the process of establishing governance in the frontier regions by the Central Plains Dynasty. These names are historically significant and possess strong vitality. Dian and Kunming were ethnic names from the pre-Qin period and are among the earliest geographical names preserved in the province. The "Records of the Western Regions" in the "Records of the Grand Historian" document the history of Zhuang's conquest of Dian. Recent archaeological excavations have unearthed gold seals given by the Han Dynasty to the Dian King, and the bronze culture created by the Dian Kingdom is admired worldwide. often interpreted "Dian" in relation to the Dianchi Lake, with some saying, "The source is deep and wide, but the outlet is narrow and shallow, hence the name Dianchi"; others believed "Dian" was the same as "diān" (peak), referring to the high elevation of the Dianchi Lake area; still others explained it as the reversal of a river's flow, where the source and outlet are inverted. Recent theories suggest that "Dian" is the Yi word for "dian" (large basin), referring to the Dianchi Lake basin; or that "Dian" is the surname of a influential tribal leader among the Qiang people, later adopted as the tribal name. The provincial name Yunnan is one of the 24 counties of the Yizhou Commandery established by the Western Han Dynasty. During the Three Kingdoms period, Shu Han established the Yunnan Commandery. In the Tang Dynasty, the Nanzhou rulers were enfeoffed as "Duke of Yunnan" and the Yunnan Pacification Commission was established. In the Song Dynasty, the Dali rulers were enfeoffed as "Military Commissioner of Yunnan." During the Tang and Song dynasties, the entire region was commonly referred to as Yunnan. The Yuan Dynasty adopted Yunnan as the provincial name. The origin of Yunnan county names includes: one theory suggests that "During the Yuan Shou period, a colorful cloud appeared in the southern region, and the name Yunnan originated from this"; another theory proposes that the name comes from a mountain in the northwest of the county, towering and connected to the clouds, possibly the Diancang Mountain or the Jizushan. Han Dynasty county names still preserved today include Shuangbai and Lianran. In the 12th year of the Yongping era of the Eastern Han Dynasty (69 AD), the Ailao people submitted to the Han Dynasty, and the Yongchang Commandery was established in the western and southern regions of Yunnan. To commemorate the establishment of the Yongchang Commandery and the Bona County during the Yongping era, the Yuan Dynasty named the county "Yongping" and changed Bona to Yongping, a name that has been used to this day. Jinning was the name of the first prefecture of Ningzhou during the late Western Jin Dynasty. The prefecture, county, and town of Jinning have remained unchanged to this day. During the Tang and Song dynasties, there were 37 tribes in eastern Yunnan, and later, prefectures and counties were established based on these tribes, with some still preserved today. Songming corresponds to the Songmei tribe, Xundian to the Xinding tribe, Simao to the Simo tribe, and Pu'er to the Buri tribe. The Tang Dynasty established the Ya Zhou Commandery, which became a key town for managing western Yunnan. Due to the large influx of Han people from the interior, it was named after the majority surname "Yao," now known as Yao'an. The traces of administrative division changes are often preserved in the names of prefectures. For example, Guangnan was the name of the Guangnan West Road during the Yuan Dynasty, which was a prefecture-level division during the Song Dynasty as part of the Temo Road, under the Guangnan West Road, and initially under Yunnan during the early Yuan Dynasty. The establishment of the Guangnan West Road Pacification Commission gave it the name of its original administrative division. Funiin County was formed by taking one character from Fuzhou since the Song Dynasty and one from Anning Prefecture established during the Yuan Dynasty. Changning County was created by dividing Baoshan County and Shunning County, taking one character from the original two counties' respective prefectures (Yongchang Prefecture and Shunning Prefecture).
Yunnan has been a multi-ethnic region since ancient times, with a rich diversity of ethnic language geographical names. Among the province's 270,000 geographical names, approximately 25% are ethnic language names, earning it the title of "Museum of Geographical Names." Yunnan is the province with the most ethnic minorities in China, with 25 ethnic groups living there, most of which retain geographical names named after their own languages. Within the same ethnic group, different branches and dialects have their own names for the same place. Yunnan also has the most ethnic language geographical name varieties, with names belonging to the Tibeto-Burman, Zhuang-Dong, Miao-Yao, and Mon-Khmer language families. The Tibeto-Burman family alone has eight branches, and the Yi language is divided into six dialects. Each ethnic language has its own special generic names, with the Tibeto-Burman family being the most complex. In the Yi language, "dian" and "di" mean flatlands, "mi" and "mi" mean places, "ka" means village, "long," "nong," and "lu" mean city, "bai" means mountain, "zhe" means mountain, and "cha" and "la" mean ravines. In the Lisu language, "di," "wangdi," and "wangdi" mean small flatlands or places, "wangji" means mountain, "wangpei" means pass, "qu" means ravine, and "ka" means village. In the Naxi language, "di" means basin or place, "chang" means village, "ge" means pasture, and "luo" means ravine. In the Lahu language, "bang" means place, "duo" means flatland, "ka" means village, "ye" means river, "ke" means mountain, and "kali" means pass. In the Hani language, "die" means place or paddy field, "pu" means village or village cluster, "luo" means river, "guzhuzhu" means mountain, "hangtai" means mountain, and "amai" means pass. In the Bai language, "den" means flatland, "deng" means place or village, "ju" means river, and "zhuo" means ravine. Villages built on slopes or with small slopes nearby are called "he," "he," or "he." In the Jingpo language, "mo" means place, "wa" and "dong" mean village, "zhao" means street, "ling" and "beng" mean mountain, "guang" means slope, "ka" means river, "long" means pond, and "chu" means hot spring. In the Tibetan language, "tang" means basin, "yi" means pasture, "gu" and "zhong" mean village, "qu" means river, "cuo" means lake, "ri" means mountain, "gang" means mountain, "la" means slope, "ga" means pass, and "long" and "longba" mean ravine. In the Nu language, "dang" means place, "jiu" and "jia" mean flatland, "kong" means village, "wang" means river, "luo" means ravine, "yi" means mountain, and "ga" means slope. In the Zhuang-Dong language family, Dai and Zhuang names are predominant. In the Dai language, "meng" means basin, "man" and "mang" mean village, "jing" and "jie" mean city, "ga" means street, "nan" means river, "long" means pond, "hui" means ravine, "lei" means mountain, "mo" means well, and "bang" means hot spring. In the Zhuang language, "zhe" and "li" mean place, "dong" means small basin, "ban" means village, "na" means field, "nan" means mountain, "long" means mountain ravine, "wei" means ravine, "mo" means spring, and "an" means pass. The Mon-Khmer language family includes the Wa, Deang, and language names. In the Wa language, "dong" means basin, "ban" means flatland, "yong" means village, "gelang" and "ge" mean river, "gong" and "weng" mean mountain, and "nong" means ravine. Ethnic language geographical names vary greatly in phonetic length, with the shortest having only one character, such as the Tibetan name "yi" and the Dulong name "ban," and the longest having five or six characters, such as the Lisu name "kenqimawangdi" and the Lahu name "yuelongdede." Some natural geographical names are even longer. The order of generic names and specific names also differs across languages. For example, in the Dai, Zhuang, and Wa languages, generic names come before specific names. In Yunnan, each ethnic group names the same place according to their customs and languages, resulting in multiple names for the same place. For example, the Jinsha River had six names and eight spellings during the Yuan Dynasty. The Tibetans called it "liшу," the Molo people called it the Yangbo River, the Mongolians called it the Boli River, also written as Boliushi or Biriyesu, the Bai people called it the Jinsha River because of its abundant produce, and some called it the Liuniu River because it originates below the Liuniu Stone, which was later mistaken for Lijiang. Some ethnic language geographical names have multiple meanings for the same pronunciation, with different interpretations for the same name. Following the principle that names reflect the identity of the people, we respect the local interpretations while retaining some alternative meanings, such as those for Gaojiu and Xizhou. Although each ethnic language geographical name has its own characteristics, they often share the same generic and specific names, reflecting the mutual influence and absorption of different ethnic cultures. Due to the interethnic influence, a large number of mixed-language geographical names have emerged, with over 2,000 recorded in the geographical name survey. For a long time, ethnic language geographical names were recorded in Chinese characters, but due to the difficulty in fully matching some ethnic language phonetics with Chinese phonetics and the variation in dialects among recorders, the situation is complex.